Flickering Existence
by DarkSuspense
Summary: When parts of time are flickering the Legends travel to its source. They find much more than they were expecting including another Waverider and a team from the future that hold interesting connections to the Legends. ON HIATUS
1. Revelations

**This is my first LoT work so I hope I managed to keep the characters in character, I tried quite a bit to remain true to that. There are a number of main character OC's in this and they are of my own creation, so I hope they can match up quite well in terms of quality of development and story.**

"So Ava is a clone," Sara stated dryly staring not to happily at Rip.

"That she is," He agreed from his position sitting opposite Sara. Sara had requested his presence for a drink on the Waverider to which he obliged hesitantly, well aware of the recent events that had unfolded.

"Why did you never say anything?" Sara wondered. He purposefully made sure she wasn't aware of it. He deleted the file and he avoided anything concerning Ava in the personal manner.

Rip sighed as he swirled his whiskey slowly, his eyes never moving from the glass in his hands. He opened his mouth and closed it several times but nothing came out. He couldn't find the words. What was he supposed to say? There were reasons he kept everything under wraps, reasons he shielded them from the truth. Ah. The truth. The truth is slippery and always changing in the world of time travel. It's unreliable. It was dangerous to know sometimes. Most times really. Yet knowing was unfortunately often times essential. Even if you have nothing, the only thing you will have is the truth.

Rip licked his lips and began to speak all the while eyes not straying from their fixed gaze on the glass. "There are many ramifications that come with knowing any truth. This one however…" Rip paused grimly. "I made the decision to keep you all unaware to preserve the future."

"I don't care why you kept everyone unaware, I care why you kept me unaware!" Sara burst out angrily. She began pacing the area behind the circle table and in front of the embedded wall screen.

Rip slammed his glass down on the table beside the chair so hard it was a miracle that it didn't shatter as he stood. "The reasons are one in the same. Would knowing have changed how you saw Agent Sharpe?" Rip demanded now suddenly filled with energy to argue his point.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Sara remarked bitingly. She was certainly not in the mood for Rip's decision making nor his cryptic reasonings.

"Everything. Miss Lance. Everything. Tell me, would you have?" Rip pressed watching with a raised eyebrow.

Silence filled the room. Their gazes stayed locked for what felt like forever before Sara lowered hers and drew in a deep breath.

"I don't know," Sara admitted quietly. It was not an easy admission to make, especially given the fact that she would also be able to admit that she truly loved Ava at this point. To think about the possibility of how things would've happened had she known was nearly impossible. She couldn't imagine how things could've truly gone given her original dislike of Ava in the first place. Would they have still moved past that and developed into more? Sara couldn't say for sure and that was what bothered her the most.

"And that is exactly why I didn't say. Because to many things hinge on it."

They were in silence for a few seconds before a time courier portal opened in the main area drawing both of their attentions from each other and their own thoughts. Turning towards it, they watched Ava ran out in a slight panic as they could hear alarms blare from the other side of the portal and see people hurrying around.

"Sara, we need the Legends help," Ava rushed out approaching Sara and Rip in the study as the portal closed behind her.

"With what?" Sara could hear the urgency in her voice and picked up on it.

"There are major parts of time that are flickering."

"Flickering?" Rip cut in with worry clouding his features.

"It's like there are two versions of history for some events. Some remember it one way while the other are explaining it another," Ava explained eyes darting between Rip and Sara. Sara's eyebrows were furrowed in thought and confusion.

"Gideon. Think you can explain?" Sara wondered, asking the AI.

"It seems the origin point of the change is not currently in time." Gideon offered.

"So it's a time traveler?" Sara tried to make sense of what Gideon was implying.

"Correct Captain. Time is, as you say flickering, because the person or origins in question has had a hand in altering much of time. With their existence strained, so is their effect on time. But as they are in the time stream and not stationary in time, they will continue to exist for however long they remain in the stream."

"Who is this person Gideon?" Ava questioned, arms crossed.

"I'm afraid I can not provide that information Director Sharpe. I can however tell you the time period they originate from," Gideon offered.

"Please continue Gideon."

"Year of birth, 2024. A specific date is unable to be provided at this time. They disappeared from the timeline in 2044. But can be found in the time stream."

"And you can't give us a name?" Sara clarified.

"Unfortunately not Captain."

"Thank you Gideon. Set a course for wherever this person is in the time stream."

"Sara I urge you not to do that," Rip interjected to deter her. Sara crossed her arms and set her steely gaze on him.

"And why is that Rip?"

"Because it is detrimental to the future. I beg of you, do not do this."

"All the more reason to do it. Now if you would, please leave."

Rip looked at Sara tired. He was tired of trying to stop her. There really was no point. He had to trust that he knew the type of person that Sara was and that all would be okay. While not an easy feat, Rip nodded reluctantly and opened a portal before walking through it briskly with it closing behind him.

"You're on board right?" Sara asked Ava once the two were alone. Once Ava nodded she asked Gideon to alert the rest of the team and inform them they were all needed in the bridge.

It was less than five minutes later that everyone had been informed of the latest and the Waverider was in route to its destination further in the time stream. Because they weren't traveling to another time period all together, they arrived at the origin point fairly quickly. Everyone stood at the front windows, looking out as they approached what looked like the Waverider to their own shock. In all of their time travelling, they had never run across another Waverider. The site in itself was a curious one as they all exchanged looks before Sara, Ava, Amaya, and Nate boarded the jump ship after electing to leave their own ship in the care of Zari, Ray and Mick which may or may not have been a questionable decision. The jump ship piloted by Sara, aligned to the cargo doors of the other waverider.

* * *

"There's a jump ship waiting for connection extension to the cargo bay Captain," The female AI Gideon's voice rang out throughout the bridge and open study of the Waverider.

"Who occupies it?" A female voice questioned from the study.

"It would be three members from the Legends of 2018 and the Director of the Time Bureau."

"Allow the connection. Tentatively. And alert the rest of the team of the matter but inform them that there is no need for them to join us in the bridge- on second thought. Have Zoe and Zane returned from their mission?"

"No Captain. Would you like them informed?"

"Yes but this doesn't require their return. They are to precede as planned. Can you inform Cassie to greet our unexpected guests in the cargo hold."

"As you wish."

Sighing, the woman pinched the bridge of her nose between her thumb and index and middle fingers before she looked up and sighed, shaking her head. This was certainly not how she expected this day to go. Truthfully, they were all living day to day trying to find what went wrong. Well the rest of the team was, she herself couldn't since too long spent in a solid time as it would result in her ceasing to exist, and even more of the time that she worked to restore and put back in place would be reverted to its damaged and destroyed state. She trusted her team with every fiber in her being, they were the people she trusted most. The other five occupants of the ship had been there since she began her tenure as captain. She had grown up knowing and being basically family with three of them. The other two she met along the way to get to where she was now but that didn't mean they were any less impactful in her life and each other's. All together they were a team, and they always would be no matter what happened.

Looking through the glass windows of the Captains study, she spotted Cassie exit the left hall and enter the bridge, followed closely by three women and one man.

Recognizing exactly who they were, she mentally prepared herself before she strode out of the study and into the main bridge as all eyes turned to her.

* * *

Once they were aligned, all they could do was simply wait until the connection was made, if it was made. It wasn't up to them so they had to hope that the occupants of the other Waverider would be receptive to there appearance.

They found they were in luck when the jump ship shook as the connection latched on and pulled it closer to line up with the cargo hold doors as they slowly split to each side to open.

The four shared one last series of significant looks before Sara hit the button causing the jump ship back hatch to open allowing the four of them to exit it and step foot onto the Waverider.

"Welcome aboard Legends," they were greeted by a woman around five eight with dark brown hair and steely blue grey eyes, dressed in black skin tight jeans and a form black fitting tank top completed by a pair of nearly knee high boots. She couldn't be older than mid twenties.

"Are you the Captain?" Sara took lead. That was who they needed to find and be talking to.

"I'm afraid not. Follow me," the unnamed woman directed as she turned on her heel and made her way up the steps quickly clearly expecting the group of four to follow her.

It wasn't long before they were directed straight to the main bridge where they all turned their attention to a woman that was around five seven with dirty blonde hair and bright blue eyes, that was wearing black skin tight jeans, a to form black long sleeved shirt that was coupled with a open navy overcoat with black leather sleeves and a short grey stand up collar. She also couldn't have been older than mid twenties.

"Looking for me?" The new woman questioned looking between the four of them and the first woman they met.

"If you happen to be the Captain," Sara answered.

"That would be me. What can I do for you… Miss Lance?" The now known Captain wondered after a brief pause between you and Miss as if she had to rethink her next words, like it didn't feel like a natural sentence for her to use judging by the hesitation in her face and words.

Sara shared a discreet look with Ava who was standing right beside her. This woman knew her name yet she hadn't introduced herself. Sure Gideon could've informed her when she announced the incoming ship but something about the way she said it felt off.

"I never said my name," Sara pointed out as her guard rose even more when the seemingly natural smile in the identified Captains face faded as she glanced at the woman that greeted them who returned the look.

"Now you didn't," the small grin returned as she continued, "but you are my predecessor. It would be a bit rude if I were to not recognize or know your name."

"So you've met before?" Amaya spoke up for the first time since leaving their own ship. She had been watching and thinking quietly before, but she much like Sara had felt that something was off with the way these two woman were acting. They seemed to tense and grow hesitant regarding the questions.

"You could say that," the captain answered with a vague answer that did nothing to quell the groups thoughts.

"Nic! We have a big problem!" A black haired, bright greened eyed, nearly six foot man exclaimed as he rushed into the bridge from hall to the right of the study with the automatic doors closing behind him.

"I need more to go on Liam," the captain, apparently known as Nic, replied before quickly moving past everyone to he center island console where the man, Liam, had already began pulling things up.

"It's Zoe and Zane. There was a distress signal sent from the jump ship they took to 2018," Liam informed causing Nic to pause.

"2018?" She repeated looking at their four guests. "What was the possibility of difference there?"

"I'm not a historian but, it looks like there was a heavy influence that was there but has also left a mark in numerous other times we've been to looking for the cause. A mark this distinct and powerful with this much influence…" Liam trailed off narrowing his eyes as he continued to read one of the screens.

"Mallus," the still unknown woman the Legends had first met finished as grim looks were exchanged by the three and startled looks were exchanged by the four.

"You know about Mallus?" Nate wondered confused.

"My parents told stories," Nic, the Captain, explained but didn't go much further into detail.

"Maybe introductions would be helpful?" Amaya suggested causing yet again another series of looks to pass between the first woman, the Captain and Liam.

"William Luthor," the man bit the bullet first being the easiest out of the three currently in the room. The four nodded and waited for the other two to follow suit.

"Cassandra Palmer," the woman they met in the cargo bay introduced. Four sets of eyes went wide as looks of surprise were exchanged. They hadn't even considered the possibility of any of their children being on the ship. When their reactions settled, they turned to the last remaining person in the room that they didn't know the first and last name of.

Nic however reluctantly gave in, "Nicole-" was as far as she got before she was cut off.

"Captain Lance," Gideon interrupted.

"Yes Gideon?" "Yes Gideon?" Two voices replied simultaneously. Both Sara and Nic answered on reflex, neither even thinking about the revelations that would follow. Nic closed her eyes and groaned, shaking her head while awaiting Gideon's information. While Sara's mouth dropped as she stared wide eyed at Nic, the other person to respond to the title of 'Captain Lance'. To say Ava, Nate and Amaya weren't shocked as well was far from accurate. They all had very similar expressions to Sara's.

"The Heywood's have returned in the jump ship and have been helped to the med bay by Mister Knight." Gideon announced creating a whole new round of surprise and realization of exactly who was on this ship between the four.

"I thought you said the jump ship sent a distress call?" Cassie recalled. Liam shrugged.

"It did. I didn't know they were own their way back though."

"Then lets go find out exactly what happened," Nic strode quickly to the med bay with Liam, Cassie and eventually Sara, Ava, Nate and Amaya following quickly behind.

"Gideon report," Cassandra ordered as the doors of the med bay slid open to reveal a man and woman lying unconscious on the two reclined chairs. They both had the same hair color as Nate. The woman was around five five while the man was only an inch shorter than Nate, his hair was also shorter being styled in a short two inch flicked up front.

"Of course Miss Palmer. Mister Heywood is suffering from major blood loss and a broken arm. Miss Heywood is suffering from a minor concussion and… well that's interesting," The AI paused before continuing. "It would seem Miss Heywood is much like Captain Lance in the manner that she is currently flickering from existence."

A grave undertone carried throughout the AI's voice. The feeling extended to the air surrounding them as everyone in the med bay felt the tension and grimness to the situation. Two people on this ship were on flickering from existence and none of them had any real idea as to why.

"Why is this happening to them Gideon?" Sara asked. Nate's eyes were locked on the unconscious forms of his future children while Amaya's eyes darted between Nate and the two peoples in the chairs. He had a future. He had future children that clearly weren't hers.

"Miss Heywood's case is easier to pinpoint. The alteration can be traced back to 2021, originally the elder Mister Heywood left the Legends in 2019 after the fallout of Mallus and travelled the world on his own. In his journeys he met a woman known as Davina Trinity in New Zealand in 2021, Zoe Amaya Heywood was born. In this altered version of time, these events do not take place. They appear to have been deliberately changed. Soon Mister Heywood will also experience the same fate as events the led to Mister Heywood's departure will no longer come to pass," Gideon explained without even any warnings about know to much about the future.

"I thought we weren't supposed to know to much about our futures?" Amaya wondered, asking the question that the rest of the Legends were thinking.

"This is not the current Legends future but rather their past. Whether or not it affects the past Legends is not the priority concern. Besides you are already aware of their existence, you must wonder how they came to be?"

"Is it just me or is this Gideon more of a smart ass?" Ava wondered looking at Sara.

"She has her moments," Sara agreed with only part of her attention on Ava. The majority of it was focused on Nic who now had her arms crossed as she stood silently in thought, staring at the two unconscious Heywood's.

Nic knew the story of why Nate had left the Legends in the first place. All of the Legends children knew. It was a sad one, it was sad mainly because it showed exactly how time travel could dictate your life. Protecting and fixing time came first in this business, and sometimes the sacrifices you had to make were hard. Sometimes they were nearly impossible. She herself knew that better than anyone because of her family history and her own choices were anything to go by.

The knowledge of who else was in the room did nothing to help her mood. If anything it made it worse. Deciding she didn't particularly want to be in the room anymore, Nic turned on her heel and slipped past the others, exiting the room swiftly. Sara's gaze followed her and seconds later she too slipped out silently following behind Nic.

"Seems the title of Captain runs in the family." Sara spoke up as she stepped up the two steps into the open study slowly after seeing Nic had her back to the door while she looked down at a glass in her hand. This was her first guess as to where she was going once she decided to follow. It was always where she herself would go to think or to be alone.

"I've been Captain for the past four years. And you know the one thing I can truly say I've learned?" Nic paused as she turned around to face Sara and leaned back against the table she had just been facing. "I know just how much being Captain sucks sometimes. The hard calls are so much harder. The sacrifices are sometimes almost unbearable. But when it doesn't suck, you realize that without all of this?" She gestured at the area around them. "You would be so bored with life. I was many things before I got on this ship, but none of them can compare to this."

"All very true," Sara agreed wholeheartedly. Being a Legend and Captain was not an easy job, but she couldn't imagine giving it up.

"But that's only part of what I learned. Learning all of that only made me understand something I never was able to. It was something that because I couldn't understand it, I resented it," Nic licked her lips and walked over to far right of the study and picked up something from the table, staring at it. "I resented it and you for a long time. But in the end, it still hurt."

Sara took a sharp intake of breath at the words as the pieces began falling into place. Her future becoming just the slightest bit more clear. "I'm not back in Star City am I? I never handed off Captain, did I?" The words were bitter to her. She had accepted death many times in her life, but to know that it happened and that she had left so much behind was different. Even without knowing the full story, somehow, just true reality of it was more painful.

Nic finally turned from looking down at the item on the desk to face Sara. She shook her head, "No, you didn't," The words didn't just answer the question asked but also the unasked one. The words were like a sword cutting into Sara's very soul. The revelation had more affect on her than she was expecting.

It was only the sound of alarms blaring throughout the ship that drew both of them out of the moment and into action.

 **Should I continue this? This is the only chapter I have written at this time because I would like to know if anyone would actually like to see this plot continue. If so, drop a review with your thoughts on the matter, it would be much appreciated and I hope you enjoyed!**

 **My OC's (Just to make life easier for you)**

 **Zoe Amaya Heywood(27), Zane Samson Heywood(25), Cassandra Jacqueline Palmer(25), Val Draco Knight(28), and William Luthor(24), Nicolette Laurel Lance(24)**

 **They've all been on the ship for four years.**

 **And yes Liam(William) Luthor is from Earth-38 for anyone that was wondering. Should this continue, backstory will be explained more along with how the team came to be.**


	2. Trapped

**So I've decided to continue this story! I hope you guys enjoy where I choose to take this!**

It was only the sound of alarms blaring throughout the ship that drew both of them out of the moment and into action.

A quick wide eyed look was shared before they were both rushing out of the study and towards the center console.

"Talk to me Gideon. What's going on?" Nic demanded as they looked at the screens for some indication of what was happening.

"The main jump ship has been released."

"Why has your jump ship been deployed?" Sara wondered seconds before the tall tale sign of metal clanging could be heard. Both Lances looked up immediately to see that the metal shield was coming down around the ship. They were going into lock down.

"Gideon what is happening?" There was no response. "Gideon?" Again nothing. "Now we have no way off of the ship. Not to mention we're on lockdown, and Gideon's out along with half a dozen other systems," then the lights went out. "And now we've lost main power. Great."

"The med bay!" Sara remembered taking off down the hall.

Thankfully they hadn't lost total power and the backup system was online so the doors still were powered to open automatically. After too many experiences of being completely and totally locked behind metal doors, it was decided that the best course of action to prevent future issues was to put that power system on a separate control.

The first thing they noticed as they turned the corner and approached the med bay was that the doors were already open. Not really concerned with the matter, they didn't pause and continued in to find it totally and completely empty. Zoe and Zane weren't there nor was anyone else. Sara and Nic exchanged furrowed looks. Where could two unconscious people, two Legends, the Director of the Time Bureau and two members of the current Waverider team have gone?

They weren't given the opportunity to find out as the bay doors slammed closed. Glancing at each other, they both moved forward and tried to open the door only to have no luck. The power display beside the door was black, the door controls were off. Apparently having the door system separate from the main power didn't stop the problem from arising again.

After five minutes of trying Nic shook her head and turned away from the doors walking the other way. She stopped once she reached the opposite wall and turned around leaning her back against it, facing Sara who was still trying to get the doors open.

"You can't get them open. Both power systems are out. We're trapped," Nic spoke up.

Not willing to listen, Sara grunted and kept trying for another five minutes before she gave in turning and sliding on her back down the doors until she hit the floor.

"So what we're just supposed to sit here with no idea where either of our teams are or what exactly is going out there? Great plan," Sara scoffed and shook her head letting it drop back against the metal doors.

Nic released a dark chuckle, "Never said it was a great plan. Or even a good one. But what else do we have?"

They sat in silence for who knows how long.

It was Sara that finally decided to break the silence. She figured if she didn't, they could sit there like that all day. At least talking would help pass the time.

"How old were you?"

Nic looked down from where she had her head dropped back against the wall. She knew what Sara was asking. She hesitated for a few seconds before making a decision. "Fourteen. I don't have many regrets in life, and if you knew some of my life experiences… well. But one of the very few that I do have is that. It's been ten years. And I still regret the last time I saw her."

 _Rain pounded on the roof and at the windows as the trees outside moved against the window. Lightning danced across the sky to the beat of the booming thunder. Raised voices carried up the stairs drawing a fourteen year old Nic out of her room and to the top of the stairs where she stood and listened._

 _"You're leaving again?" Nic asked from the top of the stairs, dressed in her pajamas, when Sara entered her line of sight ready to open the front door. It was late at night, she was meant to be asleep, but she had heard her parents talking downstairs. Their voices got raised at points. It had been happening more often lately and she had to know what it was this time._

 _Sara stopped in her tracks, hand dropping from where it was on the door handle. She turned and smiled softly up the stairs when she spotted the source of the voice._

 _"You should be in bed," She chastised without any real discipline to it._

 _"And you shouldn't be leaving. But you are," Nic remarked ending it with a shrug. The smile fell from Sara's face. She dropped the bag that was over her shoulder by the door and walked to the base of the stairs, placing her hand on the end of the banister._

 _"Nic, this is just how it is. You know that. I have to go. But I always come back," Sara's voice was soft even though this wasn't the first time they had this discussion. It probably wouldn't be the last either._

 _"You always come back just to leave again," Nic's words were bitter and they struck deep. Sara closed her eyes as they hit before she pursued her lips and opened her eyes again, looking up at Nic with a new sternness._

 _"Go up to bed, I'll see you when I get back," Sara directed but Nic refused to move._

 _"Why do you bother coming back at all? I know you would rather always be traveling on your stupid time ship being Captain anyway. So what's the point?" Nic snapped loudly before turning the corner at the top of the stairs and bolting down the hall towards her room._

 _"Nic! NIC!" Sara shouted up the stairs only to be met with the sound of a door slamming._

"It was a few days later that the door bell rang. I opened the door and all I saw was the tear tracks on my Uncle Nate's face. That's all it took and I knew. He barely was even able to get it out without choking up. She sacrificed herself to save all of them, to save time," At this point, Sara had moved to sit beside Nic who had slid down the wall onto the floor far opposite the doors at some point over the course of the story. "She died thinking I resented her. I did resent her. And I never got to grow up and make that right."

They sat in silence for a few minutes as Sara thought about all of the information she had just been given. Mulling it over trying to decide if it was really her place to say, she finally spoke. "She knew that you loved her even under that. Family always does," Her words were sad, almost wistful as if speaking from experience.

Neither of them spoke again. They just basked in the others company until with no warning at all, the tablet beside the doors lit up and the doors slid open. Both Lances shot up from their places on the ground and immediately took off in direction of the bridge.

The site they were greeted with however, was one they were not expecting. Zane and Zoe were laid unconscious across the console, pushed side by side while Cassandra and Amaya were being held by magic to the ceiling leaving Nate and Ava lying in random places on floor, all of them completely knocked out. Sitting in the turned to face them Captains seat was none other than Damien Darhk with the hand that was holding Cassie and Amaya to the ceiling up. Other than that, he looked completely at home and relaxed, not a care in the world.

"Ah! It's nice of you two to finally join us," Damien smirked. All this really did was succeed in sending Sara's anger through the roof. "Relax Miss Lance, hmm can't really say that now that there's two of you. Hope you don't mind we lose the formality's for a little while. As I was saying, relax Sara, I'm here in peace. I only wish to send a message," The smirk was every present as Damien turned his gaze to set on Nic. "I merely came to say that Mallus hopes you enjoy your time, because he has every intention of sending you back where you belong and when he does, everyone you love will die! Who fun is that?" The smile on his face was somehow completely genuine and his tone was upbeat and giddy as if this all nothing but a game to him. Nic's jaw clenched at his words while Sara's gaze shifted quickly between Damien and Nic in hopes of understanding whatever it was that she was obviously missing.

"Well I really must be going. Make the most of this time," And with that a time portal opened and then he was gone and Cassandra and Amaya were falling to the floor where they landed with a thud. Full power returned to the ship as all systems became operational including Gideon. The ending of lockdown followed quickly when the metal shields retracted.

It was only a minute or so later that everyone but Zoe and Zane began stirring. Cassandra was the first to sit up.

"What happened?" She mumbled bringing her hand to her forehead rubbing it as she sat up on the floor.

"That's what I would like to know, what happened between the time I left and all of you losing consciousness?" Nic questioned as she walked over to Cassie and offered her a hand, which was accepted, and pulled her up.

"Only seconds after you left Sara slipped out after you."

 _Sara slipped out seconds after Nic assumingely in hopes of talking. That left Nate, Amaya, Ava, Cassandra, Liam and the two injured Heywood children in the bay._

 _"We need to talk," Amaya whispered from next to Nate._

 _"I know," Nate agreed._

 _He himself was still processing the fact that he had two children, and that they were both injured in front of him. Not to mention the fact that apparently one of them was on the verge of not existing. But it was the fact that they were his future children that he had with a woman he didn't even know yet that was the hardest for him to accept. Even though he had always known that eventually Amaya would have to go back and that she would have to have children in her own time with someone else as well, it wasn't the same as seeing the evidence of their split right in front of him. They were finally in a really good place, and this was only a further reminder that they wouldn't be together forever. That there was other people, other lives out there waiting for them._

 _Amaya turned and slipped out of the room silently with Nate following shortly after. She was only a few feet down the hall, standing with her back to him as he approached. He came to stand on his left side with his back against the hallway wall and his ankles and arms crossed as he waited for her to speak. He knew that she had to be the one to pick up the conversation otherwise he wouldn't have any idea where her thoughts laid._

 _"You have two kids," She breathed out. However difficult this reality check was for Nathaniel, it was just as much so for her. She had known her own future for quite some time. Known that she had children, and then grandchildren. What she not he had known was his future. What would happen to him after she left used to be an unknown. Now it no longer was and she felt like her heart was aching. A feeling that she imagined Nathaniel had felt before when it came to her own future that didn't include him._

 _"Will have," Nate corrected softly._

 _"That doesn't make it any easier. If anything that makes it harder. Because they happen in the future and I know they aren't with me and that means we don't have a future. If you had them that would be in the past and we would be the future but it's not. They're not. We're not," She paused and took a deep breathe before turning to face him, still standing in the middle of the hall, a few feet separating them. "And we always knew that."_

 _"We travel through time. We have all that we need to take and just be us," he argued. Nate saw her point, he really did and he even understood it. But he was not about to give up fighting for them._

 _"Not forever. You heard Gideon! You leave the team in less than a year. For whatever reason. You travel the world and meet the woman you have your children with. You do all of that in three years Nathaniel."_

 _"It doesn't have to be! You heard Gideon too! Whatever happened that caused me to leave, it doesn't happen. I don't leave!" Nate shoved off the wall and stood his ground._

 _Amaya shook her head and turned walking a few feet down the hall. She stopped a few feet away, and shook her head before whirling around._

 _"And you don't think that Nic and the rest of their team aren't going to do everything they can to reset that? They're going to fix it. It is going to happen! Zoe is going to be born in three years. And we can't change that."_

 _"Yes we can! It is our future. We know it now and we have a say in it. As for Nic, we can talk to her, we can-"_

 _"You really think she's just going to let us wipe Zoe out of existence? We are part of a team much like theirs Nathaniel and you know that Sara nor anyone else would let that happen to one of us. So what makes you think that Nic, Sara's daughter and the Captain of this ship, is going to let us do that to Zoe? We can talk about us when you can think of an answer for that," The fight had left her and clearly done with the conversation she walked past Nate making her way back to the med bay._

 _"Amaya. Amaya!" Nate called trying to get her to stay, to talk. Because he knew the second she walked through those doors, it was over. That the conversation was over and that they were. But she didn't stop. She didn't even falter for longer than a second. All he got was one glance over her shoulder as she turned into the med bay and walked away from him and from them. "Dammit!" He spun around and banged his fist on the wall, leaning his forehead against it._

 _"Mixing love with time travel, yikes. That's just asking for a broken heart," A voice remarked from behind him. It was a voice he heard more than he ever wanted to and recognized well. Whipping around, Nate's temple was met with the hilt of a sword causing him to fall to the ground. The last thing he saw before he lost consciousness was Damien and a man he didn't know looking down at him._

 _After Amaya and Nate had slipped out, that left Liam, Cassandra and Ava alone in the med bay._

 _"Hey Gideon, has the flickering increased since Zoe's been wiped?" Cassandra asked the AI, suddenly thinking of something._

 _"None more than before the alteration Miss Palmer."_

 _This caused Cassandra's eyes to widened as hers met Liam's. They were both thinking the same thing and if they were correct, they needed to think of something fast._

 _"We need Stefan," Liam muttered just under his breath to Cassie who was standing right beside him._

 _"I know that but we also both know that he is in no condition to help us. Nothing has changed since last time," Cassie whispered back while also sneaking a glance at Ava. She didn't seem to be paying them any attention._

 _"Well we can't do nothing!" Liam's voice rose just slightly above a whisper as his exasperation grew. "So unless you have any brilliant idea that you haven't shared yet, what are we left with? We both have genius level IQ's yet we haven't been able to come up with something. And we won't because this isn't scientific nor technological, this is far beyond that and you know it."_

 _"Of course I know it! Just like you, I have been trying and coming up with nothing. She's trusting us to find something and we can't. How do you think that makes me feel?" Cassie spit out._

 _Liam was about to reply when another voice spoke first, "How do you think it makes me feel when you two are whisper fighting about something obviously important and thinking either I can't hear you or that I have no idea what you two are talking about?" Ava remarked causing Liam and Cassie to turn their heads ever so slowly from facing each other to looking at Ava who was looking at them with an eyebrow raised and her head tilted. Neither answered._

 _"Caught in a pickle there?" Came a new voice._

 _When Amaya reentered the room, she was greeted by the site of everyone on the floor unconscious and no suspect to be found before she herself was knocked over the head._

"That's as much as I remember," Amaya finished. Now everyone was awake excluding the younger Heywood's, and had contributed their part of the story.

"You're telling me, he managed to knock all of you out, _by himself_? Please tell me that is not what you're telling me," Nic demanded. Sara glanced at Nic. Her face was indifferent but her eyes were somehow cold and holding raging fire behind at the same time. It wasn't hard to read that she was pissed off, and everyone conscious was able to see it, even the people that didn't know her.

"Nic-" Liam started.

"Yes or no answer. Is that what you are saying?" Her voice was hard, eyes cold.

"Yes." Cassandra answered quietly.

"Nic-" This time it was Sara that tried to speak only to be cut off.

"No. William," Nic looked at Liam. The use of his full name from Nic was not normal. She rarely used it but one thing that was always the same when she did, it was not a good occasion. "Is Constantine alive?"

The question was out of the blue and made Liam take a quite glance at Cassie. Nic hadn't asked about Constantine since it happened. It had been over a year since either of them had even heard Nic utter the name Constantine.

"He is, but still in a coma," Liam answered gently. He wasn't sure of what exactly happened between the Captain and the mystic, only that something once had.

Nic shook her head, "Not Stefan, I'm talking about John Constantine. Is he still alive?"

"No. He's not," Cassandra answered knowing that Liam wouldn't know the answer to it. Ava gave Nic an odd look. Quite frankly, if Ava never had to see or hear the name John Constantine ever again she would be thrilled.

"Why do you need John Constantine?" She wondered confused.

"Because Stefan Constantine is no use to me in the condition he is in, and the Constantine's are the only mystics I know of and am on good terms with. Mostly. Which is honestly saying something." Nic mumbled the last part.

"John is alive back in 2018, we could get him?" Amaya suggested looking at Sara, who nodded then looked to Nic. While Sara normally was the one to go to command for, this wasn't her ship, it was Nic's. So while Sara may have had age superiority and was technically her mother, Nic had been a Captain longer and was the Captain of this ship so it was only right she made the call. Nic nodded giving her agreement.

"I was wondering about something," Nate spoke up garnering all eyes to him. "Cassandra said in her story that when she asked Gideon about the flickering, Zoe's lack of existence didn't cause any but yours does. Is that still accurate Gideon?"

"Yes it is Mister Heywood."

This answer turned all eyes on Nic, Cassandra and Liam while Cassandra and Liam's eyes were on Nic. They knew the truth, the entire team did, but it was messy. So with anyone else, they would've lied. But these people weren't just anyone else. They were family to many of the people aboard this ship. So what were they going to go with, the truth or a lie?

"Come find me when Constantine is here."

Apparently neither was also an option.

 **As I said, if this continued, we would see some more backstory and a lot of character relationship. That is one of the things I am focusing most on aside from plot. I'm trying not to trim corners with relationships because I want them as authentic as I can get them. In the past I've pushed that part of stories to the side and forgone it for the sake of plot driven writing, I'm not doing that here. I'm trying to create an equal balance, and I apologize if that takes some tinkering and adjusting but as I said, new thing that I'm working on.**

 **Anyway, hope you enjoyed and are looking forward to more! I certainly am looking forward to writing it!**


	3. Hatred

After leaving the bridge, Nic entered her quarters going right over to her desk on the far side of the room.

The doors slid open again signaling someone else entering the room.

"You didn't tell me," Nic spoke without turning. She didn't have to look up or turn to face the person. She knew exactly who it was.

"No I didn't."

"Someone could've died today," Nic pointed out. Which was entirely true. Any one of the people on the ship could've died had even one thing been different.

"It's possible," They agreed again.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Nic asked as she finally turned around to face Val, arms crossed, eyes steely.

"I don't know," Val shook his head and shrugged. Nic could see the look in his eyes, a part of him was defeated, like some part of him had just given up and wanted to be yelled at and torn down.

"It was her again wasn't it?" The question was more of a statement considering the fact that Nic already had a pretty good idea as to what the answer would be. Everyone had a weakness, everyone. You just had to be willing to look for it, something of which, most enemies were completely willing to do. "It's not really your her you know that right?" Nic continued.

"That doesn't make it any different. It's still as hard as it would be if it really was her," Val took a few steps forward out of the doorway allowing the doors to close behind him as he plopped down on the couch right beside the door. "You understand that."

"You're talking about my mother," Nic guessed.

"She's on the ship and yet somehow it hasn't blown up yet. I don't know if that's a good sign or a bad one," Val joked weakly.

"Yeah well, I'm reserving my bitterness towards her currently. There are more important things happening."

"You? Reserving your bitterness?" Val scoffed with a raised eyebrow, "Since when?"

"That's besides the point. Yes it is hard being on this ship with someone I blame for taking my mom away from me. Yes I would really like to kick her off. Yes I would like to kick her ass even more, but I can't. Because she hasn't done anything yet. She's not the woman that drove my mom away from me and to her death," Nic moved to sit on the edge of the coffee table right in front of Val, sitting opposite him. "Just like this version of your fiancée isn't her. She's dead Val. She may look like her, but there's a whole world of a difference between them. Literally."

"I know," Val admitted eyes down. He knew it the first time as well but that didn't stop him from losing that much needed perspective. Now it was happening again, she was taking control again and he was letting her. He was fighting a losing battle and he didn't now how to stop it. Today was the first day in a long time that he had truly felt like betrayed Nic. He betrayed her the second he lost his will power. Love was powerful, and sometimes that was what made love dangerous.

 _Nic had just sent Zoe and Zane off on their mission and Val was tasked with searching through time in the library in hopes of finding something useful. He had been at it for an hour or so when the words in front of his eyes blurred for a few seconds. Closing his eyes, he shook his head trying to push the feeling away. When he opened his eyes again and looked up, a black haired woman was sitting in the edge of the desk with her back to him. His first thought was Cassandra, but he hadn't heard the doors open so he crossed her off the list._

 _"Hey baby, I've missed you," Her voice was soft, it was caring and all he wanted was for her to talk forever._

 _When she started talking jolts were sent through his body. He recognized the voice. Not a day went by that he didn't long to hear it. Not a day went by that he didn't wish it was him and not her. Not a day went by that he didn't love her with all of his being. It had been five years and so much had changed, but not that. Nic may have saved him from himself four and a half years ago when she met him and gave him a purpose to fight for and believe in, something to channel his loss into, but she could never save him from the memories of his lost love._

 _This wasn't the first time this had happened. It happened before, a year ago to be more precise. It didn't end well. He unknowingly betrayed his team and the person that saved him. He betrayed his family to the worst degree without even knowing so just because of his love. The team didn't know what he did. They were unaware that he had any part in it. Everyone but Nic was unaware. When she got back, she knew. She confronted him about it one day, but that was it. She forgave him._

 _Something was different between them, just the slightest bit different, but it wasn't always noticeable. In fact it rarely ever was. Obviously not considering the rest of the team, the team that was a family, that could sense when something was wrong from a mile away, had no idea what had truly happened. He did distance himself emotionally from the others though, that they did notice. But they let him have his space, because they knew he would've given the same to any of them._

 _Deep down, Val knew, he knew what seeing the fiancée he knew was dead again meant. He knew he should've told her to get lost. But even after all the months of remaining emotionally distant, he couldn't bring himself to do it._

 _"You're not her," But that didn't mean he didn't make the feeble effort. She looked over her shoulder at him with her trademark grin. It was the grin that he had known since he was sixteen and had loved for just as long._

 _"Aren't I? I talk the same, I look the same, why am I not the same to you? After all, I'm in your head. Shouldn't I be who you remember?" The logic, however flawed, hit home. He knew it wasn't her, but maybe, just maybe he could let himself believe that it was just for a second and the pain of the memories would fade for just a minute._

 _But it wasn't just a minute. It was making a deal with the devil. A deal that Val had unwittingly made once before in the name of love. A deal that was made once again in that simple moment._

"It was after I woke up that the logic part of me finally kicked in, but it was too late, everything had already happened and I couldn't tell you around everyone. I begged you not to tell before, so it didn't exactly feel like the right time to change that," Val explained. Nic nodded and sighed, looking off to the side.

There was so much about this that was so difficult to deny. She understood, she got it. Val, he loved his fiancée until the day she died and even long after. He always would regardless of if he ever met someone again. Nic met him in 2043 on Earth-2 and he was broken. His fiancée had just died, who Nic didn't even understand how she was alive in the first place and the same age as Val given the fact that Nic knew of her counterpart and knew that she was born in the 2000's but she wasn't about to be the one to mention to Val that his dead fiancée may have had a double life similar to that of her doppelgänger. So she let it go, she helped him and a year later when she was building her team, she went to Earth-2 again and she found Val again and gave him a new purpose.

Now was the time that she was wishing to all hell that she didn't let it go and that had looked more into it at the time when she first met Val and found out his deceased fiancée's identity.

Nic's thoughts and their conversation didn't get to continue as the doors slid open to reveal a weary Cassandra. She cleared her throat when she saw that both Nic's and Val's gaze was rested on her.

"John Constantine is here," Cassandra announced looking between Nic and Val slowly. There was something going on there, she just couldn't put her finger on it.

Nic nodded, "Thank you. I…. will meet you in the bridge shortly."

Cassandra didn't respond before she turned and walked back down the hall as the doors slid shut, closing off the two areas.

"I thought John Constantine was dead?" Val looked back at Nic who groaned and rubbed her eyes with her hand.

"He is. Current John is. Past John, alive and kicking,"

"I think you mean alive and stripping," Val smirked. Nic sent him a dark glare.

"One time, my mom slept with him one time," She held up one finger to emphasize her point. "In the 60's, in a mental institution. So clearly, not a well thought out mistake."

"Mistakes typically aren't," Val reminded, smirk ever present. "And while it may not have been in the 1960's or in a mental institution, if I recall correctly you slept with Stefan Constantine. Numerous times. So…" He trailed off wiggling his eyebrows.

"We're done here, I have to go to the bridge and not talk about my-"

"Sexcapade," Val interjected biting his lip to stop from laughing.

"It was- It was not an affair," Nic denied. "Neither one of us were dating anyone and it was just… it was just none of your business."

"But it was kept a secret," Val pointed out.

"It was not kept secret. I just didn't happen to advertise it to the whole ship the way Liam and Zoe feel the need to."

"Wait, Liam and Zoe? Seriously?" Val eyes widened.

"Yeah. Did you really not know that?" Nic asked slightly surprised.

"No! They act normal around each other so I never really… how did you know?" A grin slowly grew on his face as he watched Nic open and close her mouth a few times without forming words. "You walked in on them didn't you?" He broke out laughing as he got the last word out.

"Gideon is not great at locking doors," Nic commented. "And they decided to have sex in a public place, because obviously nobody needs to use the library, ever apparently. Now that we've discussed both mine, Liam's and Zoe's sex lives, I have to go. But later we'll talk about the rest of the teams sex life, just to fulfill your need for high school gossip," Nic remarked as she left the room.

"Counting on it!" Val joked as he turned down the opposite hall and made his way to the aforementioned library.

* * *

Once Nic left the bridge after blatantly ignoring the question, that left everyone looking to Cassie and Liam for answers.

"It's not our place to say," Cassie shook her head and refused. Both she and Liam held their ground until the others nodded, while not satisfied, they shelved the question for later.

"Gideon since the lockdown has been lifted, has access to our jump ship been reinstated?" Sara asked the AI.

"Yes Miss Lance."

"Haven't heard that in a while," Sara muttered under her breathe about the title. "Well I'm going to go contact John. I'll be back shortly," Sara announced before she turned and walked out of the bridge leaving the others behind.

She didn't make it far down the hall before she heard footsteps running after her.

"Sara, Sara!" Nate called as he caught up with her and stopped in front of her. She looked at him curiously. "Before I got knocked out, I saw another guy standing next to Darhk. I didn't recognize him."

"Why didn't you include that in your part of the story?" Sara demanded. The only way they were going to get through this was if they were all on the same page. Withholding something like that is being exactly the opposite.

"Because I-" Nate paused rethinking his words before starting again. "Because there is supposed to be another person on this ship. Gideon mentioned him earlier when she informed everyone about the jump ships return, but we haven't met him yet."

"So you think that, whoever this mystery team member is, he's working with Damien Darhk?" Sara repeated skeptically.

"I know it sounds out there but think about it. How much do we know, how much do we not know, and how much do we know that we aren't being told?"

Sara shook her head and looked away from him. His words made sense, but she didn't want to think that way but he did make a point. His words and logic made more sense then she was ready to admit. Some of the questions she had only added to his theory that there was something more going on that they didn't know about. Nic had mentioned that they knew of Mallus from stories earlier, but Darhk left a message from Mallus to Nic. There was more history there than just a few bedtime stories. A lot more.

"I'm not agreeing and I'm not disagreeing. We keep our eyes and ears open. Nothing more. Now I have to go contact John."

* * *

When Nic returned to the bridge, John was there talking to Sara. The second Nic stepped foot into the open room, John spun around to face her.

"You've been there," His eyes were slightly widened. Now seeing him from the front, Nic could tell that he looked exactly as he would in twenty some years. His words definitely made her take pause and there was a falter in her stride. "You've been there. And back," His words were filled with a sense of awe and approval and Nic could understand why. It wasn't a particularly easy feat to get back from there. Not one she would like to relive either. "You're certainly a worthy one, aren't ya?" John smirked.

"Hey now! That's my future daughter your talking to," Sara frowned unhappily. John looked back and forth between them and nodded in thought.

"Aye. I see the resemblance. Well age doesn't really matter to me, how about you love?" John questioned looking back at Nic.

"The only Constantine I would think of sleeping with is your son. And I've been there and done that, a number of times so, no offense but I'll pass," Nic smirked.

"You slept with his son?" Sara blurted out at the same time that Liam exclaimed, "You slept with Stefan?"

"And you sleep with Zoe. Both are facts. Neither are a priority right now. We can all compare sex lives later," Cassie cut in effectively cutting off the conversation before Nic could retort back.

"Excuse me?!" Nate exclaimed from his place beside Ava. He was ignored though as Nic shook her head and turned her attention to John.

"I need you to remove a feeling for someone from someone. Can you do it?" Nic questioned clearly putting the other conversation on the bench for the more important matters at hand.

"Depends on the feeling," John shrugged.

"Love for someone. I need you to remove someones love for someone else."

"Aye I can. But I should warn ya first, there's no reversing that."

"Really you can't just bottle it up and put it back later?" Nic pressed.

"Negative."

"Then I need you to shield someone's mind. Can you do that?" Nic suggested.

"Depends on who you're shielding it from," John replied.

"Probably the most powerful, influential, annoying and pushy demon to ever exist," Nic snapped. She needed something, there had to be something to stop this from happening to Val. It was either find something or Val would have to leave for the time being, something of which Nic didn't even want to consider doing. She knew he wouldn't blame her, he had already told her to kick him off before over this same matter, that it was for the best and maybe it was, but she wanted to find any other way.

"I get the feeling you're talkin 'bout Mallus," John guessed. "If so, 'fraid I can't."

Nic shook her head and walked a few feet away trying to come up with another idea.

"That's what's going on with you and Val isn't it?" Cassie spoke up breaking the silence filled glances that were being exchanged. "That's what's been up with him all along, right? Why he distanced himself, everything."

Nic turned to look back at them, hands resting on his hips, head hung before she looked up and met Cassie's eyes. "Yeah."

Tears sprang to Cassie's eyes as they glassed over. "You two have been acting like nothing happened. When that's not true. He distanced himself after it happened to you. I thought he was just lost and trying to find a solution like the rest of us but really he was broken and struggling to live with what he did. Did you know it was him?"

"After I got back I confronted him. I did find out. It was just to late when I did, he was already making the move."

"Why didn't you tell anyone? Why?! We-we could've been there for him. Helped him! Why?!" She demanded, voice growing more and more watery. Tears were rolling down her cheeks.

"He begged me not to say. He begged me to kick him off, to hurt him, to kill him, to do something so he could pay for it. He was already drowning in so much guilt, telling you, telling everyone wouldn't have made it better. He thought you would hate him. I told him you wouldn't. But he couldn't see it."

"How could he think we would hate him?" Liam spoke up softly. He had pieced the entire argument together. He wasn't a genius for nothing.

"Because he hated himself, even after I forgave him for it. He couldn't let it go. He hides it well, but today for the first time since, it happened again. And either we find a solution or he can't be on this ship right now."

"That's why you want to remove his love for someone. You want to remove his love for his fiancée. They're using her doppelgänger to do more than throw him off balance aren't they?" Cassandra questioned as she wiped her face.

"Love is powerful but it's also very dangerous," Nic agreed.

"You can't kick him off the ship," Liam argued. "No matter what."

"I forgave him. I still love him like an older brother. He is family. But that does not mean that I have forgotten what happened last time. Mallus wants to win. Right now, the only way he can is by getting rid of me. Then it's over, he wins. So as much as I do not like the idea, if it's the only one that will work, I have to. Regardless of the fact that he is family."

"This fellow that you're talkin' 'bout. I take it he's the one that sent you there?" John made his presence known to the three who were basically having a conversation of their own and ignoring everyone else. When Nic nodded, he continued, "And the one that pulled you back?"

"No that was actually your son," Liam answered.

"Okay I am tired of having no idea of what you all are talking about, who sent who to where?" Sara interrupted loudly looking between John, Nic, Cassandra and Liam.

Her answer came from a person she had never met nor had any clue who they were when the doors slid open behind Nic and a man entered the bridge.

"I cast Nic down to Hell. Literal Hell."

 **I** **think that's a good place to end it don't you? I do apologize if any of the conversation was confusing but it can be difficult to maintain a conversation between a large group of people such as this one. In this conversation alone we had John, Nic, Cassie, Liam, Ava, Amaya, Nate and Sara. That's eight people and two or three of which didn't even speak and it was still difficult to keep track of.**

 **Anyway, hope you enjoyed and like where I'm taking the story! Let me know what you think, it really actually does help me.**


	4. History

"So you're telling me that you cast my future daughters soul down to literal hell?" Sara questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"That is exactly what I'm saying," the dark brown haired, blue eyed man nodded.

"And who the hell are you?" Ava spoke up for the first time the entire conversation.

"You were with Darhk. When he knocked me out, you were the other guy with him," Nate realized. Sara looked at Nate before shifting her gaze back to the unknown man.

"You're working with Darhk?" Sara's voice was cold, and her stance was aggressive and it looked like she was going to attack at any second possible.

"Whoa! No murdering any of my team!" Nic exclaimed, her hands raised in front of her like a person would when being arrested as she stood defensively in front of Val. "This is Val, the only member of my team you haven't met yet, aside from the currently indisposed of Heywood's. He is also the person we were just talking about," Nic gestured between herself, Liam and Cassie.

"He still sent you to hell," Amaya pointed out. "No matter the reason."

"It's not his fault. When Nic said we've heard stories of Mallus, she was being a bit light on the details," Cassie stepped in sending a glance at Nic. The Legends still had their guards all the way up and it didn't look like they were coming down anytime soon.

"Mallus disappeared about a year ago. Before then he had been on our asses much like I imagine he's on all of yours," Liam guessed. The four guests nodded reluctantly. "We fought against him and his lackeys on many occasions. The last time we ran into any of them was when Nic was cast to hell. It's been nearly seven months since we managed to pull her back."

"If you said Mallus disappeared a year ago, and it's been seven months she's been back, that would mean that Nic was in hell for five months," Nate worked out quickly.

"Five years," John cut in nonchalantly correcting him. "A month here is a year there," he elaborated after receiving odd looks from the four. "I am curious of what you'd done for it to deem ya worthy of that punishment though."

Nic looked down while Cassie and Liam shifted uncomfortably. The history behind that truth was one that wasn't talked about often amongst the team. They all had their own pasts, some they weren't proud of, some they wished to forget and some they left behind. Over the past four years, every member of the team had changed in their own ways and none of them particularly liked to remember the person they were beforehand each for their own reasons.

"Four years is a long time. Suffice it to say, we aren't the same people we once were," Nic answered vaguely.

"But that wasn't the question," Ava pointed out. She was right, whether they had changed or not wasn't the question that everyone was waiting for the answer to. It was what did you do to deserve hell accepting you.

"It doesn't matter if it was or not becaus-" Liam started in defense only to cut himself off when his eyes met Nic's.

Her gaze was telling him to stop, to let her handle it. While he may not have agreed with it, he reluctantly did it. He respected Nic, they were family and even though they had just found out that Nic and Val had been lying and keeping secret some very important things, that didn't change the fact that they were family and they respected one another. The fact that Nic was standing there, calm and controlled amidst everything that was happening showed exactly why she was respected.

They all respected one another, sure they fought, argued, yelled, and insulted one another and in the end they did respect each other, but it wasn't the same type of respect Nic had on top of that. It was the trust that went with putting your life in someone's else's hands and letting them make the decisions, you had to respect someone in an entirely different way to do that.

"I've done questionable things. Did many of them before my tenure here. But it's the fact that I don't regret them, any of what I've done, that I was deemed deserving of hell. I don't need to tell you what I've done, because I'm sure you all have a decent imagination and can take your own guesses, now this conversation is over. There are more important things happening right now. John, I can see you have a question, so what is it?"

Her words were unexpected. The four had believed she would give an explanation but rather than do that, Nic had just closed off the topic and made it clear with she would rather let them come up with their own theories than discuss it. Not only did this worry all of them in their own ways, it struck deep in Sara.

The words were painful to hear for Sara because not only was she aware of who Nic was to her but was also painfully aware of the types of people in the world and some of the horrors that a person could face. She had no doubt that if hell had her chance to admit her, it would take it in a heartbeat. And that was what was most worrying to her. The unknown of who Nic could've been for it to be the same with her.

"Hell is mighty hard to get free off, nearly impossible as it takes great power. How'd ya get out?" John questioned.

"Time," Nic answered shortly.

The response pulled the Legends out of their own musings and thoughts and back into the conversation.

Nic sighed, "Nate before you asked why time flickered concerning my tittering existence but not Zoe's? Apparently I can't put off this answer forever as much as I would like to, so here it is. The only way to get out of Hell is have something more powerful to pull you. It's kind of like tug of war. And things more powerful then the hold of hell are hard to come by."

"That's an understatement," Cassandra scoffed at the same time that Liam remarked, "More like impossible to come by."

"We searched for months looking for a solution only to find nothing. So we decided to bite the bullet and contact the one person that we knew that could help. Stefan," Cassandra told.

"Stefan agreed to help once he found out who exactly was in hell. He didn't know of anything but he studied it and looked more into it," Liam picked up.

"Eventually he found the key to it. Took him a while and a lot of reading his father's old research and books but he finally had an understanding of what it would take. A lot of power," Cassandra continued.

"Power that Stefan didn't necessary have. So upon some brainstorming, we all realized that what we needed was all around us," They switched off again.

"So Stefan channeled the power of time from the time stream, acting as it's conduit, to make the tether to Nic in hopes that the tether would be powerful enough to snap the hold Hell had on her soul. Long story short, it was. And Nic was back."

"But it was at the consequence that she's still tethered to time and because Stefan can no longer be its conduit to undo it since he couldn't handle the influx of power, that job has fallen to Nic. So if she fails to exist thanks to what Mallus and his goons have done…" Liam trialed off, leaving the Legends to put the last piece together.

"Then time would be severely damaged," Nate realized grimly.

"What happened to Stefan?" Amaya wondered looking between the two storytellers.

They were surprised when it was actually Nic that was the one to answer, "He's in a coma. He has been since that day. The spell wasn't meant to transfer the power, it was only supposed to create a tether with the purpose of pulling me back, not to instill me as a conduit of time. Stefan's magic was drained after, and he's only just slowly getting it back. We believe that when it's fully restored, he'll wake up."

"So what exactly will happen if Nic were to stop existing?" Sara questioned.

"To be honest we don't know the extent of the impact it will have on time. Time is already damaged because of Mallus, it's quite possible that Nic acting as it's conduit is the only thing keeping it together and that's why Mallus wants her gone. It's also equally possible that Nic being gone would absolutely no impact on the destruction of time," Val spoke up for the first time since he announced what he did.

"And we can't really afford to take the fifty fifty gamble," Cassandra finished off.

"It's possible that it's a co-balance," Amaya suggested after some thought. "I mean your origin has already been wiped from timeline but as long as you are in the time stream and not a constant time period, you'll continue to exist. So being in time is keeping you alive and you being alive is keeping time in check."

"There's also that possibility," Val conceded.

"And if that is the case, then our priority needs to be getting rid of Mallus and finding the change so we can restore the events that lead to Nic existing," Liam announced.

Just by watching them all interact and continue sentences and thoughts for each other reminded Sara that there was a lot about all of them that they didn't know. They finished each other thoughts and sentences as if it was nothing, they hadn't fought, not even when they found out they had been lied to by Nic and Val. They understood, accepted it, and moved on to the important matters at hand.

Of course, Sara could only imagine that it would be a big discussion at a later time in private between the team, but it still remembered her of how different the teams were. Her own team would've started yelling at each other right there with absolutely no regard for who was around or what was happening. Her own time was close, but not like the one she was seeing before her. The team she saw before her were people that were a family not a dysfunctional family, a family some of which she could tell had known each other all their life.

The way Cassandra didn't blow up at Nic over the very large and elaborate lie gave way to the obvious familial connection that the last names only hinted at.

It was very similar with Cassandra and Liam, they knew each other's tells and language so well they were able to have a complete explanation and conversation split between the two of them seamlessly. Well Sara herself didn't know a Luthor as of yet, she did recognize the name vaguely, so she knew she heard it in passing once before evidently more in the future.

Val, she didn't know but that didn't stop her from disliking on him on the mere principle of what he did. Sara was well aware that she didn't know the full story and that she herself had done things just as bad if not worse but somehow that didn't change her feelings on the matter. While she may not of liked him, she wasn't blind to the bond that he shared with the others, especially Nic. It was evident that he trusted her implicitly if she was the only one that had known the full truth. The fact that that was returned was clear from the interaction and understanding that passed between them.

Sara was jarred from her observations and thoughts when Nate spoke loudly.

"Wait you don't know what change caused her to be wiped from the timeline?" He realized incredulously.

"No we don't and considering the fact that our historian is currently unavailable, until they wake I don't think we will be making much progress," Nic paused. "Gideon, estimated wake up time?"

"Sometime tomorrow morning Captain."

Nic nodded in acceptance before addressing the gathered group, "Well its been a long day already and it's late. So, you are all welcome to find quarters on the ship to spend the night if you wish. It's up to you. John, I would very much appreciate it if you stuck around?" Nic looked questioning at him.

"Drink?"

Chuckling, Nic nodded, "There is plenty of alcohol stashed around the ship. I'm pretty positive everyone has their own personal store of whatever is their favorite but I think if I let you steal their booze they would form a mutiny and kill me in my sleep. So you are otherwise welcome to the studies supply. Good night," She nodded before leaving the bridge.

It didn't take long for Liam, Cassandra and Val to exit as well, leaving only Sara, Ava, Nate, Amaya standing there as John had already made himself welcome to the study.

The group of four split into two separate groups of two and moved to opposite half's of the room to talk.

"I'm staying," Sara told Ava breaking the silence. Ava nodded absently, it made sense, she saw it coming. "I would like it if you did as well," Sara continued. That was not what Ava was expecting if her slightly surprised expression anything to go off of.

"But why?" Ava asked in confusion. She could understand why Sara would ask that if they were together, but they weren't. They were... well they were quite messy.

"Because if you noticed, Nic didn't spare you a single glance. She didn't even say a word to you."

"So? We haven't exactly had a chance to talk, and besides, maybe she just doesn't know me," Ava shrugged. She did indeed notice what Sara had pointed out, she just wasn't exactly sure if there was more to it than that.

"If she didn't know you, do you really think she would let you stay on the ship? Or wouldn't even so much as bother to ask who you were. She knows," Sara reasoned. Ava looked away, the logic was irrefutable. Sara brought one of her hands up to rest on her cheek and turn she face to look at her. When Ava conceded and their eyes met, Sara's eyes were soft and caring. "Stay."

Ava's resolve wavered and weakened under Sara's gaze. Before she had been determined to distance herself from Sara after finding out the truth about herself. The truth hurt, it hurt her just as much to push Sara away as Sara tried to pull her back. As much effort as she had put into it, she also recognized that now wasn't the time to do it.

So instead, she nodded and agreed, but not before making a single condition, "Fine, on one condition."

"Anything," Sara promised. She was happy that Ava was letting her fix things, little by little, it was still progress. She had went from wanting to break up, to admitting she loved her, to fighting for her all over again.

"We sleep in separate quarters."

That one sentence sent Sara reeling slightly on the inside, but she didn't show it. She pushed it down and accepted it. Little by little, if that's what it took, she was going to do it.

"Deal."

If Ava was going to admit it, she thought Sara was going to be more ready to argue the condition, claiming that it wasn't necessary, but she didn't. Instead she accepted Ava's condition without faltering. At least on the outside. In her eyes, Ava saw them dim ever so slightly, so slightly that unless you knew her, really knew her, you wouldn't be able to tell. So no matter how much it hurt Ava on the inside to do that, she knew she had to.

With Sara and Ava on one side of the room, Nate and Amaya were on the far other. They stood in silence for a few minutes, neither knowing what to really say. It was Amaya that broke the silence.

"You're staying."

She was right of course. She knew him as well as he knew himself. This was the second conversation of the day between them that she had started with a statement that Nate somehow knew would just be the beginning of a painful conversation.

"I am. I was hoping you would do the same," Nate paused just long enough to collect his thoughts but not long enough for her to interrupt. "I know that none of this is ideal, but I love you and you love me. Can't that be enough for now?" Nate pleaded.

Amaya hesitated to meet his gaze. She knew if she did she wouldn't be able to look into his eyes and see the pain and sadness she had caused.

"Love isn't always enough," She broke and looked up meeting his eyes that reflected her own sadness. "I'll stay but that is all I can do. I can't be with you Nathaniel, knowing your future makes it to painful."

The words hit something deep in Nate, and sparked something in him. It wasn't pain, but rather the beginnings of anger.

"How do you think I feel then? We've always known your future. Hell we have been fighting one of your grandchildren for months! And she's not mine, so how do you think it feels for me? To see that and to know that somehow you move on. That somehow you forget about me and knowing that our love was never enough. Now that you're experiencing it, does that suddenly make it real? We were together knowing your future, so why the hell can't we be together knowing mine?" The last few sentences came out as desperate angry pleas.

It hurt him that now that she was feeling what he had been feeling since they first got together, they weren't on the same page anymore. It pained him to know her future and have no idea when their time together would have to come to an end. It broke him to know that she would leave him one day and would love someone else. Now she was experiencing that firsthand.

She was on a ship with his future children that he will have with another woman. He had been living with the reality that one day she would love someone else and devote her life to them. Now she was living with the reality that he would do the same, and suddenly the time they did have was nothing but pain, a constant reminder that as things stood they wouldn't get forever, no matter how much they wanted it.

As a historian, he understood that it was necessary that time continued unchanged. A lot hinged on Amaya's contribution to history. He knew that. He knew that before they became what they were. He was also willing to experience the pain that he knew would one day come for the chance to love her for however long they got. He had learned to live with that reality, the reality that they were doomed in the end but he still was willing to take that leap of faith.

Knowing his future meant that she wasn't. She wasn't willing to take the pain that was destined to come. She wanted to spare him, spare herself, spare history. But in the process, it only hurt them all more for it.

When she wasn't able to formulate a response, he shook his head and turned away from her, taking it one step at a time, he left the bridge leaving her standing in the same spot, frozen in shock at his outburst.

Nate walked the halls absently before he found himself turning up at the med bay. Slowly entering, he stopped and stood in front of the two reclined chairs where the two laid. That was where he stayed, just staring, unmoving for who knows how long. At some point he found a chair and sat, but his gaze never shifted from the two unconscious figures. If Nate was being truthful with himself, he was afraid.

Terrified even.

But he remained there, sitting.

Waiting.

After Sara and Ava's conversation, on her way to an empty quarters, Sara took a detour to their jump ship and informed the team that remained on their own Waverider that they would be staying the night and that there was no reason to worry. After that quick stop, Sara eventually found an empty sleeping quarters and laid on the bed, above the covers, staring up at the ceiling in thought. She remained unmoving until her body and mind gave in to a much needed escape to sleep.

Though Nic had been the first to exit the bridge, she had only left to make a short retreat to her own quarters to retrieve a thing or two before making her way back. When she reentered the bridge on her way to the study, it was cleared out, with no one in sight. She had known courtesy of Gideon that everyone had decided to stay on the ship for the night, but she didn't ask for anymore than that. How they split up or the status of their relationships she decided to remain unaware of, she had figured long ago that as long as no one killed each other on her ship than what happened behind closed doors would remain as such. If they choose to inform anyone, that was their business.

Unfortunately, not everyone was that discreet and instead chose to air that information out in the open. But again, no one was killing each other, so she let it be knowing she would rather just stay out of whatever was happening.

Stepping up the short step that separated the bridge and the study, Nic spotted John just to her left in the leather chair, an empty glass beside his hand on the small table. She chuckled inwardly at her spot on memory. While John may have lived on alcohol, he was particular about what he drank often. So making her presence known, she waited passed him, retrieving a glass before walking to the large circle table piled with maps in the middle of the room and opening the full bottle of whiskey. She poured the glass before moving and setting it and the bottle on the stand next to John's first empty glass. He looked up at her with a raised eyebrow before picking up the bottle and looking at it.

"Glenfiddich. 1937," John whistled before picking up the previously poured glass and taking a generous swig. He nodded tasting it on his lips. "Expensive and rare stash, isn't it? Now how did ya know exactly what I would like?"

"Good memory."

"And what is it that you like?" John questioned curiously spotting the other bottle she set on the table behind her. From what he could tell, that bottle was already open with a quarter missing.

"Pyrat 1623," Nic grinned before retrieving her own glass and pouring the rum.

"I never quite could come to enjoy the taste of rum," He commented, before taking another swallow, finishing the glass. He poured another one. Nic took a sip of her own drink.

"You always would make a comment about that. Really I think you just never found the perfect one," Nic admitted offhandedly.

"I take it that it was more than a shag with my boy?" John lifted an eyebrow.

"There was a time when we were close. I spent two years in London when I was 18 to 20. Met Stefan during that time. My team is also like a family, but we all have things we don't know about each other."

"What happened?"

"I left. When I was twenty something happened and I made my team and left to save time," Nic mocked, the last words slightly bitter leaving her mouth as she took another sip.

"Regrets?"

"Not exactly. I wish I did it definitely because I hurt him, but I would still do it over again."

"Understandable. I may not know him, but if he's my blood, you would probably be good for him."

Shaking her head, Nic finished the glass before looking down at it. "It was the other way around really. He changed me for the better to be honest."

"Miss him?"

"Everyday. Miss her?" Nic wondered knowingly. John didn't look surprised that she knew things not many others would've.

"Everyday," He nodded. "He'll wake up?"

"One day."

"You'll be there?"

"One day."

"That's all we can give."

They drank in a comfortable silence. While he may not have had the memories she did, nor the knowledge she had, that didn't stop it from feeling comfortable. He may have been different from the John she knew, but his presence was the same and it reminded her of a time she thought of often. It was a nice reprieve to be in his company again even if it was twinged with sadness from the knowledge that he was gone. That was one thing she did regret, not knowing that he was gone.

Stefan never told her about it when they picked things up how they did. They didn't talk much in an effort to avoid falling back into a relationship that involved more than sex. Slowly they did open up more, they did reconnect on other levels than just a physical one. But they never quite could let the other fully back in, not when they knew the painful ending was likely to repeat with the life's they led. Maybe things could be different someday.

Maybe, one day.

 **I feel like I'm doing really good with the character relationship stuff. At least better than I used to. I'm seriously making an effort and I'm happy with how I've been doing. This chapter didn't really have a lot of plot other than story telling and major reveals. It was a lot about the characters and their underlying relationships.**

 **I don't like to beg, but reviews are really appreciated and valued. They truly do mean something to me and help so much. So please, just take a second and tell me what you thought. Good or bad. Just honesty is all I need.**


	5. Storytime

It was six the next morning when the doors of the training room slid open, granting Sara entry. Entering the room, a loud consistent thudding sound could be heard resonating throughout the room. Listening closer, in between each thud the sound of the quick sliding of metal followed by a whoosh of air ending with the thud.

The sounds repeated in the same order at least a dozen times before they stopped all together. Sara rounded the corner quietly and caught sight of a long wide area. At the far end, at least twenty yards away, there were about two dozen arrows holding green tennis balls to the wall.

There was not a single ball not skewered through with a charcoal and midnight blue arrow.

Sara stayed close to the corner, making sure to remain silent as she continued to watch. The shooter unhooked the empty quiver on their back to only replace it with another full one. The quiver was a midnight blue and black to match the arrows while working well with the matte black compact compound bow. Sara could tell the bow was definitely influenced by the bow Oliver had used two or so years ago, in some aspect, they were just too similar for it not to be.

With a new quiver in place, the archer resumed the machine to launch the tennis balls and began once again. Watching the archer shoot had oddly enough reminded her of Nyssa. While the bow preference was obviously more Oliver, the stance was more Nyssa. When Sara's mind wondered, her eyes also took in the rest of the room. To the left of the archer, in the wall was an a small open alcove with a tablet embedded in the wall beside it.

Near the edge of the opening Sara could see the snow tinted glass slid into the wall that would normally close the area off from the larger area. In the open alcove was two mannequins and three clear stands. Each adorning a suit. One suit was what looked like a black League Of Assassins suit with a few modifications while the other suit was black and midnight blue and looked like a cross between a League suit, Oliver's original Arrow suit and Arsenals suit.

They each had bow holders next to them. The replica League suit had the bow still in place while the black and blue suits bow was in the archers hand rather than its holder.

One of the biggest differences in the suits was the black metal batons housed in a X position under the centered quiver on the back of the black and blue suit. There was a matte black ring with a scythe symbol etched into its center, sitting on the shorter stand between the two suits, closer to the vigilante suit. There was also a grey cuff bracelet closer to the League suit.

Sara was only drawn out of her thoughts when she noticed the constant sound stopped. She looked back at the archer only to see a blue tipped arrow pointed right between her eyes. She also found herself staring into the bright blue eyes of Nic. Spinning around just in time, Nic released the arrow allowing it to soar through the air and impale the last tennis ball, as it was released, into the wall before the loader turned off.

"Morning," Nic greeted as she walked over to the alcove and place the bow back on its slot next to the black and blue suit before turning back to face Sara.

"What are you doing up at six? Everyone's still asleep."

Nic raised an eyebrow, "I figure it's the same reason you are. Training. I do it every morning. At six."

"And how would you know why I'm up?" Sara questioned.

"You found your way to my training room. You were once Captain, you know the ship. So that crosses out exploring. And the only other reason you would've come here is to train," Nic reasoned.

"If it's your training room now, why was I granted access?"

"Much like your room, only I normally have access. But for your stay I've granted you the same."

The gesture was nice, and while Sara tried to push the feeling down, it didn't feel genuine. It felt like it was a forced gesture of good will and it was obvious that her eyes reflected her feelings when Nic spoke again.

"I'm trying. I'm trying to be welcoming, but it's not easy. Ten years, it may be a long time, and I may have forgiven her and I don't resent her anymore, but I don't think any amount of time could've made this situation feel natural. So I'm trying here. It's the best I know how to do." Her words did mean something to Sara. She did understand them, it wasn't that she just understood it but that she could also relate to it.

When she was away for those six years, thought to be dead, coming back was one of the hardest things she'd ever done. Even so, this wasn't the same situation, not by a mile. This was… something more difficult. So while she truly did relate and understand it, that didn't stop it from stinging, however irrational that was.

"Why League of Assassins?" Sara changed the subject knowing they were both uncomfortable tiptoeing around the large abyss of unknown for too long.

Nic's face displayed her momentary confusion before realization washed over her features.

"It's not League of Assassins," Nic paused taking in Sara's expression, "The suit, it's not League of Assassins. It's actually League of Shadows," Nic admitted hesitantly. This was one of the many topics that Nic would've rather steered clear of. Far far clear of, would've been preferable.

"League of Shadows?"

"It's a lot like the original League but also very different."

"When?" Sara's voice was low, almost like a broken whisper.

"When…?" Nic trailed off waiting for Sara to elaborate. She had a pretty good idea of what Sara was asking but it was not really an answer she wanted to give. Thinking about it, there were a lot of answers Nic didn't want to give and very few she did in comparison.

"When did you join the League? You're twenty four, you've been on this ship for four years, when did you have time to be in the League?" At the end Sara was pacing and in a slight panic. Thoughts were running through her mind quicker than she could comprehend them.

To calm her normally collected mother, Nic answered her questions against her own better judgement. "I was fifteen."

Sara stopped pacing abruptly and whirled around to stare at Nic wide eyed. Nic was looking back at her with raised eyebrows. She could honestly say this was the first time she had ever see her mom with that horrified and also terrified expression.

"After she died, I was lost, I was angry. At myself, at her, at I didn't even know who. I just was. So I started sneaking out, and I wasn't doing it for the reason anyone else would've, I was doing it to go out and actually do something in the world," Nic continued as Sara slowly lost the panicked look in her eye. Slowly.

"A vigilante," Sara whispered in realization.

Nic nodded, "I knew the basics of fighting, of self defense," Nic could see the question in her eyes and continued, "One night, I had been doing it for a few months already and I had been doing good, so I started taking unnecessary risks, those that I now know are completely stupid. But I was younger and angry at the world and… well stupid. Long story short, I got my ass handed to me. I underestimated who I was going after and the connections they had. I almost died. I was going to die," Nic slowly walked over to one of the metal tables holding an assortment of weapons. She picked a throwing knife up and just twirled it.

"But you didn't," Sara prompted waiting for Nic to continue, hoping really, that she would.

Nic didn't strike her as a particularly open person, she wasn't either, but she had gotten more than she thought she would. It just wasn't as much as she wanted. She didn't know if she would ever know everything there was to know or if she even would want to.

"No I didn't. Someone swooped in, took care of everything I guess, I don't know exactly what happened because I passed out, but next thing I know, I'm waking up all patched up somewhere else. The person who saved me had been watching me for the entire time I had been going out there. They were watching me since you died. They didn't try to convince me to stop, I guess they knew there was no point. So they taught me instead. They taught how to never lose something again. They took me out to the headquarters and though I was younger, they offered to teach me as long as I joined. So I did."

"How did you leave though? Why? I mean the League of Assassins never let anyone leave, barring a few exceptions of course."

"This League was different. Its leader wanted to do things differently. So if you were trusted enough, there was a come and go policy. Some could even be allowed to leave completely. As to why," Nic put the knife down and walked over to where Sara was now sitting beside another metal table, she sat opposite and put her elbows on her jogger covered knees. "My mentor, the leader, she died. And it was much like when you died. I was angry. She had been… she had been like another mother to me. She was tough on me, kicked my ass in training, didn't go easy, but she loved me for a reason I never understood until I got on this ship. But, I was 18 when she died. I left the League after that. Travelled the world, being the cold, heartless killer the League taught me how to be. Every rapist, drug dealer, arsonist, murderer, that I ran across or tracked down, I killed," Nic told solemnly. Her voice was even but it wasn't loud, it was just even. She wasn't looking at Sara anymore.

"So you really were a vigilante. I had wondered seeing the second suit," Sara admitted softly.

"Not even a year later I was in London. I was targeting a mystic. I also needed some information from him so, seduction was to go there. Asshole figured it out, got a brief upper hand, in the end I could've killed him. Not many had bested me in past years, so those that did? I respected them. And I let him live. I stuck around London for a while, somehow, someway, we fall for each other. And we stayed together until I was 20 and I left to create my team," Nic finished.

Sara could hear the finality in her voice. That was the end of story time. Sara glanced over at the League suit and looked at the bow Nic had just been using thinking back to her shooting. Slowly, the puzzle came together as Sara's head whipped to look at Nic, who was already looking at her with an unidentifiable look in her eye.

"Nyssa," Sara breathed in disbelief. "It was Nyssa. She was the mentor, the leader."

"She was," Nic agreed.

Sara looked at her again and suddenly she understood the look in her eye. Nic had known the second Sara had began putting the pieces together. She knew exactly where her mind was at and let her work it out. She didn't deny it either. Maybe somewhere deep inside Nic didn't mind her knowing somethings. She was after all telling the story for no reason other than that Sara had asked. Maybe there was some level of Nic that was willing to connect.

"She looked after you."

"Not always loving or motherly but somehow she just was in some twisted way, like one to me."

"She's dead," That part of the story came back to Sara just to knock the wind out of her.

"Yeah," Nic's voice was quiet and cracked ever so slightly over the one syllable word.

It had been six years since she lost her mentor, the person who finished raising her, the one that helped her when she was the most lost she'd ever been, but that pain never faded and she knew it never would. Every time she fought and survived, every time they had a mission and succeeded, every time she put on her gear, it reminded her of the days where she was relentlessly getting her ass kicked in training.

"What's your name?" Sara questioned quietly. It seemed neither of them was really able to speak normally, to speak with the power and assertiveness they usually did.

"Thanatos. It's Greek. For death. I didn't come up with it. That was just what people came up with when death seemed to randomly take people, they knew it was a person doing it, and they knew that that person meant death. It stuck so I kept it," Nic shrugged.

The vigilante name really had come out of no where. It did wined up sticking and honestly she didn't mind the name. Even if she wasn't exactly the same with her methods anymore it still struck the necessary fear of death into the people that believed they could do whatever they wanted at the expense of others. The part she didn't mention was that no one ever even bothered to search for the ruthless vigilante known as Thanatos. No police investigations, at least not after they figured out exactly what type of people were being targeted.

Vigilantism wasn't encouraged but it also wasn't always completely discouraged. There were some places that cheered at the idea of a vigilante, law enforcement included. Then there were others that loathed the idea of a vigilante taking matters into their own hands and dealing out punishment. Those were the people that believed justice could be found in the law. Those were the people that were blind to the incapability of the law, even when it was evident.

"League name?"

"Sagittarius."

"That's latin for archer isn't it?" Sara questioned slightly perplexed.

"Correct but most others had an English codenames. She wanted there to be change. There was a lot of change," Nic chuckled slightly.

"You said you didn't know why she cared for you until you got on this ship. Why did she?" The question reverted conversation back to the ever painful topic. Nic didn't refuse or close it off because she knew. She knew why Sara was asking. She knew what Nyssa had at a time meant to her and in some way would always mean.

"I didn't know about your time in League of Assassins until I got on this ship. You were always very sparse on your past and your time 'dead'," Nic air quoted, "And research, no matter how advanced we got, can only really tell you what the rest of the world actually knows. Which isn't much compared to what happened. I knew you went missing and came back a vigilante and then the captain and that was it," Sara nodded absently, "But no, I didn't know who she was to you, or who you were to her. I just always believed it was a random pick and I was the lucky winner. She never spoke about you. Well, she did. But she never said your name. Always would say beloved. I always wondered who it was but I never felt the need to ask."

"So even after everything…" Sara trailed off shaking her head, hand cupping her mouth.

"Even after everything you were still it for her," Nic finished nodding sadly. "Well story time has been nice and all but I have to go check on the two in the med bay," She stood and gestured around, "You're welcome to train however you please."

She turned and started making her way to the door when Sara called out two questions that had been bugging her since she found out who Nic was.

"What happened to your other parent? Who were they?"

Nic's steps faltered and she came to stop just as the doors were sliding open. She didn't move, not even to turn and face Sara. She may have been more open with Sara than she intended, but she had absolutely no intention to answer those questions with anything but a deflection.

"Not who I wish they were," Nic answered noncommittally and resumed her walk out of the room with the doors closing and locking after her leaving Sara alone to her thoughts.

Nic walked through the halls of the Waverider on her path to the med bay thinking only of a memory that speaking to Sara had brought back to the front of her mind. It was more of a memory that led to a chain of bad memories. They were memories she had honestly debated flashing out of her memory many times but never actually did it. She never would either, no matter how many times she debated it. While she may have hated the memories and the pain it brought, it also reminded her of exactly who she was and why she does what she does.

 _It was a minute to midnight in Rio._

 _"Sagittarius, in position?" A voice crackled over the coms. Nic was crouched on the opposite roof top in a rundown outskirts of Rio._

 _"In position and overlooking the rooftop entrance," Nic answered as her voice was blown away through the breezy night._

 _"Remember stick-"_

 _"To the plan. I got it," Nic cut the voice off with a bored voice with a hint of irritation. They had been over it at least twenty times._

 _"I know you do but it still has to be said," A new voice replaced the man's. Nyssa said amusement playing in her tone. Nic's growing irritation to the constant reminders of sticking to the plan was quite obvious._

 _Nic shook her head but a hint of a smile fought its way onto her face behind her lower face fabric mask._

 _"Ready on your count."_

 _"Set," Another voice came over the comes, this time female and not Nyssa's._

 _"Ring in the New Year in thirty counts Divine," The original male, Loch, instructed._

 _"Ten," Loch said as time ticked closer._

 _"Five," Loch counted._

 _"Lets go!" Divine called over the com as time struck midnight and an explosion sounded on the opposite side of the building from Nic. At the same time Nic stood and extended her bow, loaded a line arrow and fired at the opposite rooftop all in two seconds flat. The arrow hit the concrete and latched in as Nic connected the other end to her own rooftop before attaching the bow and slide down to her destination._

 _It was only thirty seconds later that Nic was kicking in the roof entry door and going down the stairs._

 _She almost made it to the correct floor without running into anyone. Apparently they were expecting the possibility of stairwell entry after all. Before she could be seen Nic gripped the railing in her empty gloved hand and vaulted over it dropping silently down the last half of the flight to the ground where she dove into a roll to the side effectively being hidden by the darkness of the above stairwell._

 _Nic waited until she saw the man's foot from her crouched position. Judging by the position of it, he wasn't facing her. That definitely made hints easier. Slowly, she made her way out of the darkness and crept silently behind the man. When she was only a few feet away she launched a mini arrow at him where it impaled itself in his neck and injected the vile of poison into his bloodstream._

 _It didn't even take a full ten seconds for it to take effect as the man fall to the ground lifeless. Covering her tracks, Nic grabbed a hold of his legs and slowly drug him into the darkness of the underside of the staircase, hiding him from view._

 _Once she was satisfied with her hiding job, she opened the door out of the stairwell and softly closed it behind her before she continued down the hall._

 _Conference Room 3._

 _That was where Loch had said the specific heat signature was located. Oddly enough, the signature was also the only one in the room, the entire corridor actually._

 _Cautiously, Nic walked down the hall, bow in hand. She stopped when just before the wanted door._

 _"Loch?" She whispered nearly inaudibly, barely even moving her mouth behind the fabric mask._

 _"One heat, careful," His voice came back in response. Nic could hear some shouting and gunfire in the background but didn't question it._

 _Placing the gloved hand without the bow in it on the handle, Nic slowly twisted the handle and pushed the door in ever so gently. Taking a peek, she could see there was no tripwire or sensor by the door so she pushed it the rest of the way open._

 _In the middle of the room was a chair and a dead person slumped in it. It was the person they were infiltrating the site to find and get information out of._

 _"We've been beat here. He's already dead, from the looks of it, tortured," Nic informed quietly._

 _There was no response._

 _"Come in?" Nic tried again._

 _A line opened and Nic could hear even more shouting and background noise. Checking what com link it was, Nic was surprised to see it was Nyssa's. Nyssa was supposed to be back at base coordinating the effort not in the field._

 _When she made it back to the base she was greeted by the site of unconscious League members strewn unceremoniously on the floor._

 _Bow drawn, arrow loaded, Nic made her way to the main control center of the building. Along the way she found numerous more knocked out assassins._

 _Entering the control room she was greeted by the site of Loch and Divine tied up and gagged but conscious and relatively unharmed._

 _"What happened?" Nic demanded as she removes the gags._

 _"They demanded she went with them and she did," Loch answered as he untied himself and stood._

 _"Who took her?"_

 _"We don't know," Divine admitted grimly._

 _That day had started the chain of events that led to Nyssa's death. Somehow, the assassins in the shadows were beat by the shadows._

Nic was pulled out of the memories when she arrived at the med bay. The doors slid open as she strode in. She found Nate sitting in a chair facing the two siblings, asleep. Looking at the two members of her team, Nic could see they hadn't woken up yet and she had no idea when that morning they would so she decided that rather than waiting she would get one important conversation she needed to have out of the way.

Walking over to Nate, she kicked the chair roughly making Nate jolt awake. Blinking his eyes quickly to remove the grogginess from them, he was greeted with the site of Nic looking down at him.

"We need to talk."

When in history was that line the start to a good conversation?

Never.


	6. Confusion

"I guess we do," Nate conceded. He leant forward on his knees, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes before he shook his head one last time and stood up.

They stood in silence for a few minutes just staring at Zoe and Zane's unconscious forms. Nic had her arms crossed and every minute or so Nate spared a glance out of the corner of his eye at her.

"You shouldn't let her slip away you know," Nic finally spoke breaking the silence.

"What?" Nate's eyebrows furrowed and he turned his gaze to fully look at Nic, who remained unmoving.

"Miss Jiwe. Amaya," Nic corrected with an odd look on her face. "It may bring more pain in the end, but it's normally worth it."

Nate took in her words in shock. Out of everyone he thought that would be telling him to stay with her, Nic was not one of them. If anything he thought she would tell him to steer clear not wanting to jeopardize the lives of two of her team members and family. So hearing what sounded like her approval was not at all what Nate expected to get out of this conversation. Yes he wanted it, he wanted it more than anything right now and he intended to try to convince her, but to find out that he didn't have to threw him for a loop.

"I'm sorry, you want be to me with Amaya, but what about them?" He gestured to the two in front of them.

"They come eventually. You have now. You leave the team in 2019 after Amaya goes back to 1942. She goes back because during your fight with Mallus, she almost died. It reminded everyone that if she were to die, history as we know it, would fall apart. So she went back and you left and you've heard the short version of the rest."

"But why do you want me to be with Amaya?" Nate pressed. Nic just wasn't giving him a solid answer, she wasn't giving the real reason that he needed to know it was genuine.

"You were my favorite uncle and you deserve happiness. And your happiness right now is connected to Amaya's. So value that. Value that until- until there is absolutely no time left. Even if you know it's doomed and that the pain will be inevitable, do it. Because you don't get unlimited chances in life."

"You sound like you're speaking from experience," Nate commented.

"Maybe I am," Nic shrugged before she turned and started walking towards the doors. Just as the doors open and she was standing in the hallway Nate called out.

"What's the real reason?"

Nic turned back to face him. There was a undeniable grin playing on the corner of her lips.

"They were like my family. They are my family. And they always will be. So I will protect them until I can't anymore, no question about that. But at the end of all of this, the only of us left standing will be Val and Liam and even they will be drastically different."

"What the hell does that mean?" Nate demanded. There was an undertone to her words that Nate couldn't make sense of. It was like there was an underlying meaning that he just couldn't grasp onto.

"There's a reason we aren't supposed to know to much about our futures."

That was how Nic left him. Standing there staring at the now empty doorway trying desperately to understand the hidden message to what he just was told.

Nate was pulled out of his speeding thoughts when he heard a groan come from his right. Whipping around, he saw that Zoe's eyes were fluttering.

Seeing her eyes flutter as she began to come to reminded Nate of exactly who she was and he prepared himself for the conversation to come. But the second her eyes finally met his, he knew that no amount of preparation in the world could've prepared him to looking into those eyes.

His daughters eyes.

Which just so happened to be identical to his own.

Else where on the ship, Cassie, Liam and Val were in the library. They had all been there for at least twenty minutes already but no one had said a word yet. They were all just reading their own books and looking up their own thing while the tension surrounded them.

None of them really knew what to say. They had dealt with a lot of things over their time spent on the Waverider but there really no manual for these situations.

There was only the reality.

The reality was that Val had been manipulated into unknowingly helping Mallus which ended in Val casting Nic down to hell. Up until recently, Val and Nic had been the only two aware of this piece of information, actually the only two aware of anything concerning the matter of Val and Mallus. Val had been struggling and none of them had even realized it. That was what the difficult part of it was, it wasn't anything that he may have done, it was that they didn't notice. That they didn't help him or be there for him.

How did they fix that? How could Val forgive them for that?

While the silence on Val's side was for a different reason with the same mindset. How could they forgive him for what he did? He had betrayed them, all for a minute of love that at the time he believed was real. He had hurt them, took away a person they all loved to the ends of the earth. How could they forgive him? How would they ever be able to look at him the same?

Not one of the three knew the answer to any of these questions. Nor did they know what exactly the other side of the struggle was questioning. So they were left with assumptions. Assumptions and actions based on them.

So when Val stood, grabbed his stand up collared black with red accented suede and leather blazer and walked to the door with it in hand, Cassie called out stopping him in his tracks.

"Where are you going?" These were the first words to break the tense silence they had sat in for the last twenty minutes. Unfortunately they did nothing to correct the false assumptions on any of the three's minds.

"I am going to pack. Then I'll be gone and you don't have to worry about me anymore," Val didn't look up at them. He only looked at the velvet blazer in his hand.

"Not worry about you?! Why the hell wouldn't we worry anymore?" Liam sprung up. Again, none of these words were doing much to show their real thoughts but rather only what their minds twisted them to believe the other thought.

"Look if I'm gone I can't hurt you, I can't lie to you and I certainly can't help cast you to hell," Val's words were bitter. Cassie and Liam shared a glance of confusion.

"We don't care about that. We care about you!" Cassie fought as she also stood and took steps closer.

"No you can't. You're only saying that out of obligation."

Cassie's eyes sparked with fire as she strode forward with purpose and stopped right in front of Val. Her hand collided with his cheek like lightning.

Liam's eyes widened in pure shock as he gasped, "Cassie!"

Val looked down, refusing to meet her eyes. Cassie placed both of her hands on either side of his face, his normal stubble scratching under her hands. She made him look at her as she took his appearance. Outwardly, he looked the same as he always did, his black comb over tapered fade was as it always was. His stubble was as it always was. Nothing she could see about him was different so far, until she got to his eyes.

His eyes had always had a certain amount of hidden pain behind them before, but now they just looked… broken. It was clear and blatant and yet also so hidden. He eyes were so open, it was like the dam of hidden emotions had just broken along with him. In some way his eyes now resembled Zane's in the way that they were clear about his thoughts and feelings. This was an oddity for the members of the ship, not many of them were completely open about their emotions and thoughts no matter how close they all were. It just wasn't who they were.

So to see Val's eyes and emotions completed exposed, was like part of Cassie had also broken.

It was also what jolted Cassie. It had become more clear.

"I forgive you," She whispered, not breaking eye contact. "I forgive you," She murmured over and over.

That was what broke the final dam that had been being chipped away at for so long. Val bit his lip as his eyes grew glassy until he couldn't hold it anymore and tears ran down his face. Cassie nodded understandingly and released his face to pull him into a tight embrace, holding him.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," The tears came faster and they wet her neck as he buried his face into her shoulder and the crook of her neck. "It hurts so much," Val held onto Cassie for dear life afraid that she would leave, afraid that once again he would be alone.

A few tears also leaked out of Cassie's closed eyes as she just held him. Even Liam's eyes threatened to spill over as for the first time in much to long, they were all on the same page. The page wasn't easy to get to and it was even harder to stay on, because to all of them, in their own ways, it was devastating.

When Nic walked around the corner and was greeted with the sight of Val clinging to Cassie while crying and Cassie's tear stained face resting on his shoulder, Nic's eyes darted to Liam, who was the only one to see her, and she also saw tears in his eyes. When their eyes met, a small smile crept onto Nic's face as she looked once more at Val and Cassie before she turned back around and left without a sound.

In the med bay, Nate was staring at Zoe with absolutely no idea how to start the conversation. Luckily, he didn't seem to have to.

"D-da-dad?! How the hell are you here?" Zoe stammered out when realized exactly who she was staring at. She moved to sit up quickly.

Nate stepped forward to stop her, "Hey hey hey, you just woke up relax," His voice was soft and he was trying to be soothing but apparently, he was just the opposite.

"Stay the fuck back! Who are you?" Zoe demanded springing up out of the chair and backing up as far away from Nate as she could get. Nate raised his arms in the surrender position.

"It's me. It's Nate, please if you calm down I can explain!" Nate took another slow tentative step forward.

"I said stay the fuck back!" Zoe's voice was now at shouting level. Complying with her wishes, Nate took a step back.

"Zoe, I can ex-"

"Who the fuck are you pretending to be him?"

She demanded still yelling but now she had dropped the pretenses of distance as she charged him, sending them both tripping over the chair that was behind Nate and to the ground. Zoe landed on top and quickly made to pin him with an arm bar on his throat. Taken by complete shock, Nate didn't even attempt to shove her off or fight back.

Her shouting and the loud crash had travelled throughout parts of the ship, drawing Nic, Ava, Amaya, Liam, Cassie, Val and Sara to come running from their respective places.

Nic was the first one to make it to the med bay as she took in the sight in front of her. Sara slammed right into her back followed by Cassie, Liam and Val. Next to arrive was Ava followed finally by Amaya.

Nic and Liam were the first ones to jump into action, Liam going for Zoe as Nic moved to help Nate.

Liam wrapped his arms around Zoe's midsection and pulled her off of Nate. She fought against him every step of the way, kicking and screaming trying to get back at Nate. Nic helped Nate up and stood in front of him, separating Liam and Zoe from Nate in the possibility that she broke Liam's hold.

"Calm down, calm down. Baby I got you, relax," Liam whispered in her ear trying to get her to relax. She started to slow as her energy dwindled down until she was just standing in Liam's hold, breathing deeply.

"Can somebody explain what the hell is going on?" A new voice grabbed everyone's attention to its source. Now sitting up was Zane, who was now sitting up and was looking wide eyed between Zoe and Nate.

"What the fuck Zoe?" Nic questioned confused.

"Zoe?" Cassie prompted just as confused.

"What the fuck is he doing here? How is he here?" Zoe looked frantically around at all of the people in the room. Seeing Sara, Ava and Amaya did not do much to help her current panic.

"We can explai-" Cassie started.

"He's dead! How the fuck is he here?" Zoe demanded looking between each of the members of her team for some sort of answer, but they were all staring open mouthed at her. When no one seemed to be able to give her an answer she wretched out of Liam's now slackened hold and left the med bay at a sprint.

"What is she talking about?" Amaya was the one to break the stunned silence that had overcome the room. She didn't speak loudly, but the question carried to all of their eyes in the nearly silent room.

"I have no idea," Nic admitted looking to Liam, Cassie and Val, who all shook their heads and looked just as confused and shocked as she was.

"Zane?" Cassie looked at him questioningly.

There were a lot of things that didn't match up that it seemed a better half of the crew was unaware of. Zane sighed and shook his head. He swallowed deeply, and caught that eyes of all of the team, not sparing a glance at the Legends.

"We never told anyone," He started quietly. Everyone automatically leaned the tiniest bit forward as they strained to hear him.

"What happened?" Nate spoke up softly. Zane's glance drifted to him and just stared, taking the site of him in.

"No," Zane shook his head and refused, "No, I'm not saying anymore."

"Zane, it's obviously important, we need to know it," Nic tried only her pressing didn't have the desired reaction.

In all actuality, it generated a reaction so out in left field, it left every single person in the room in a stunned silence.

Zane shot up regardless of any possible remaining injuries, "You didn't need to know it when it happened! Because you were who the hell knows where off killing who knows who because what someone you loved died? You don't see anyone else going off on a killing spree!" Zane shouted at Nic with the aim to hurt, "And you were to busy off getting your stupid degree and fucking any male that showed even the tiniest of interest in you to bother!" This time his words were aimed at Cassie, "Then there was you," he strode up to stand straight in Liam's face, "You were just the stupid little genius billionaire heir that followed Zoe around like a fucking mutt and really, that's all you'll ever be. It's all you all will ever be, a killer, a slut, and a lapdog."

All three recipients of the shouting could do nothing but blink and stare, mouth agape. When he was met with no argument or word of disagreement, Zane shoved past everyone and stormed out of the med bay, presumably in pursuit of his sister.

"Captain Lance," Gideon's voice was the only noise in the room.

"Yes Gideon," Nic answered quietly, still pondering the words that were just thrown in all of their faces.

"It would appear that there is a problem with Mister and Misses Heywood."

"Really, you don't say?" Val remarked sarcastically with a raised eyebrow. He was the only that didn't get reamed out, but that didn't make the verbal lashing any more fun to watch. In truth, he didn't even know where it had come from.

"I mean mentally Mister Knight," Gideon countered.

"So did I," Val shot back.

"How could they never tell us? We've been on this ship for four years and its never come up?" Cassie wondered quietly to Nic who shrugged, arms crossed.

Before she had the chance to even come up with a suggestion Gideon cut them off.

"Mister Heywood did not die in 2043. In fact he is still quite alive in the present," Gideon informed them. Nic, Cassie, Liam and Val exchanged a collection of confused and suspicious looks, while the Legends all seemed to fade into the background as they just listened and thought over the words that Zane had shouted.

Sara knew that what he had said about Nic seemed to add up with what she had seen and been told so far, but she didn't know about the others. So far, she had had little to no interaction with them.

"So then what the hell was that all about? They seemed pretty convinced that he did," Ava questioned the AI.

"The part of the brain that controls memory seems to have shifted to over drive once they awoke due to a possible alteration of the memory," The AI answered.

"So are we saying it's a effect of time changing?" Sara asked.

"If that was the case than a lot more would be different than them just thinking their father is dead when he's not," Liam answered.

"Correct Mister Luthor, it would seem this was deliberate," Gideon said.

"What were they doing in 2018?" Nate wondered thinking.

"It was a possible alteration point for my existence issue," Nic answered shrugging not really thinking much of it.

"What if it something happened to them there other than being injured? I mean we don't even know what happened in the first place," Cassie nodded catching onto what Nate was suggesting.

"But why would someone create a fake memory?" Amaya questioned only to be met with silence. None of them really could think of why creating a fake memory would be beneficial to any of their enemies.

"If I may, while the memory was false, the emotional response was not. Had the event really taken place and had the circumstances been the same, the anger would've been real. After all, the information was true," Gideon went quiet.

"Where are they now Gideon?" Nic ignored the AI's previous evaluation.

"They appear to have left the ship," Gideon supplied.

"Where did they go?" Nate asked cautiously, seemingly afraid of the possible answer.

"I do not know."

It was those four words that really hammered home exactly the situation this was shaping up to be. Two crew members were now currently missing, one panicked and the other pissed off, not to mention the fact that someone had messed with their heads.

 **I don't really know how much I liked this chapter or the way I decided to take it, but it was necessary for some more character development I do have planned. Hope you enjoyed and thank you for all of the kind words you have been putting in your reviews. They honestly are so motivating and what made me want to get this chapter out as soon as I could.**


	7. Plans

"What do we do now?"

The two teams had split up, Nic and her team were in the library looking for anything they could find on where the Heywood siblings might have gone while Sara and her team, including John, were in the bridge working on their Mallus issue.

"Find Zoe and Zane," Cassie remarked sarcastically. "You know the reason we're in the library in the first place."

"I mean about the fact that neither of them technically exist anymore. We don't know where they're at, and if they stay in a time period for too long…" Liam trailed off shaking him head.

"That's not the only reason we're here," Nic spoke before Cassie had the chance to form her next words.

Liam and Cassie looked at her in confusion, while Val observed her curiously. He had so far managed to stay out of the impending argument by not speaking or even paying attention but opting to rather continue the search for their missing team members.

"We also need to talk about where our priorities lie," Nic continued looking between each of them.

"Which we can't do around the Legends," Val realized, nodding in understanding.

"Well we need to find Zoe and Zane, fix their existence issue, fix your existence issue, stop Mallus and save time," Liam summed up with a shrug. Cassie nodded agreeing with him. Val remained silent watching Nic.

"That's not right is it?" Val wondered after picking up a sign of something he couldn't place in Nic's eyes.

"No it is not. We aren't going to fix our existence issues. There's no point anymore. Our parents, the Legends, they know their futures, most of them that is. And that means they'll change it," Nic sighed. Being captain wasn't easiest job in the world, and it was times like this, in situations like this, that that became clear.

"It wouldn't matter if we did fix it, chances are things won't even play out that way," Liam understood the point Nic had been implying.

"So what, we just disappear from existence? How does that work? Especially in your case?" Cassie gestured to Nic.

"I have an idea, it's pretty stupid and probably won't work but it's the only thing I can think of," Nic paused and when she heard no objections, continued, "When Stefan pulled me out of hell, he acted as a conduit for times power. Now I'm that conduit. And we don't know what happens if I stop existing. From what we know, there's no way to completely place the power back into the time stream. So right now, time is as vulnerable as I am. Take me down, which Mallus is trying to do, and time may possibly go down with me. What if it wasn't that easy? What there was more than one person to take down?"

"Meaning?" Cassie raised an eyebrow in question.

"Meaning we need to find Zoe and Zane and we need Stefan awake again, because we need to do another transfer. Except this time, it's going to be intentional. And this time, it won't just be me, but all of us."

"You wanted to divide the power," Liam breathed out in realization, wide eyed.

What Nic was suggesting was as she had already said, stupid and the chances of success were, without a doubt low. But it was also in some way an insanely good idea, the main problem with it was their lack of knowledge on whether it had any chance of working or not. In theory, Liam could admit that there really wasn't a reason it couldn't work. Practically though was another story entirely, magic, and time especially didn't play by rules.

"Doing it, would pull us from the time stream. So we wouldn't disappear if and when our parents change time because we wouldn't be solely bound to it anymore. It should also allow us to stop Mallus," Cassie concluded.

"Three problems with this plan. One, Stefan is in a coma and has been for months with little to no change. Two, how the hell can we even know if this will work? Three, the Legends. The mere idea that they would be down with this is even further out there than this plan to begin with," Val took the rational approach. Nothing about this idea was ration, whatsoever. There were also a lot of holes in it. But somehow, none of it mattered. None of it mattered because it was all they had and it had to work.

"Have we actually tried to wake Stefan up? No, we haven't. We've let it be. And we don't know that any of this is possible, and there really is no book to tell us if it is. The Legends… they won't be a problem."

"Nic. How could you possibly think that they won't be a problem? They're like a demolition derby… with feelings," Val scoffed.

"I have a plan for that."

"You just have a plan for everything don't you?" Cassie smirked.

"Yeah. Whether they work or not is irrelevant much like whether they're sometimes half-assed or not is also of not much importance," Nic shrugged.

"Okay. So what's the plan?"

* * *

"How the hell are we going to defeat Mallus?" Nate paced. Sara stood with her arms crossed in front of the center console. Ava was across from her while Amaya was adjacent to her. John… well John was sleeping off his hangover in the study.

"Why did we split up? Surely if they can't come up with something to beat Mallus on their own, and we can't on our own, wouldn't it be smarter to work together?" Amaya wondered with a frown.

"It would be," Ava agreed dully, not looking up from the panel.

"But there's a reason we're not," Sara admitted. Nate's stopped pacing and stared at her, as did Amaya and Ava. Knowing they were waiting for her to continue, Sara tried to form her thoughts and suspicions into words, "No doubt about it, they are talking about more than finding the other two in there. And whatever it is, we aren't invited to know about it."

"They don't trust us," Ava summed up.

"And we clearly don't trust them," Nate took note.

"So what do we do?" Amaya questioned. How were they to move forward when A, they didn't know where they were meant to be moving and B, with people that didn't trust them and that they didn't trust in return?

"We do what we always do. Figure something out. And for the time being, we do it with them."

* * *

I know. It's short and it was a very long wait. Life has been a pain in the ass lately. But that isn't really the reason this is short, it's short because it has to be to set the background for next chapter. I hope to have the next chapter out in a somewhat more timely manner, but unfortunately I can't make any promises. Thank you all for sticking with me so far!


	8. Puppets

Sara, Amaya, Nate, Ava, Liam, Cassie and Val reboarded the ship through the cargo hold. Well, Liam was technically being nearly drug in by Cassie and Val who were on either side of him, trying to keep him upright. He had been fading in and out of consciousness for quite some time and was creating a trail of blood behind him as he was dragged through the field and onto the ship. To say he had seen better days was an understatement.

And to say Nic was pleased was a determination made by a dead person. Because there is no way anyone living, would come to that conclusion.

When the team entered the bridge, Cassie and Val kept going right on through with the med bay as their destination. Sara, Amaya, Nate and Ava all stopped in the bridge expecting to find Nic waiting there for them. They were surprised to see she was in fact no where to be seen, neither in the bridge or the study. Exchanging looks, they couldn't tell if this was better or worse. Worry was shone bright in all their eyes.

"What the hell was that?" A cool voice demanded.

They all whipped around to face the hall they had just came from, there was Nic. Standing just feet behind Amaya, who had been the last one to enter the room. Looking at Nic, they could practically feel the chill radiating from her cold icy blue eyes.

"It didn't go to plan, but I think we fixed it rather well," Sara tried.

" _So what's the plan?"_

 _"Gideon. Stream the bridges live feed in the library," the AI brought the requested feed up on the wall screen in the library for the four of them to see._

 _"How the hell are we going to defeat Mallus?" Nate paced. Sara stood with her arms crossed in front of the center console. Ava was across from her while Amaya was adjacent to her. John… well John was sleeping off his hangover in the study._

 _"Why did we split up? Surely if they can't come up with something to beat Mallus on their own, and we can't on our own, wouldn't it be smarter to work together?" Amaya wondered with a frown._

 _"It would be," Ava agreed dully, not looking up from the panel._

 _"But there's a reason we're not," Sara admitted. Nate's stopped pacing and stared at her, as did Amaya and Ava. Knowing they were waiting for her to continue, Sara tried to form her thoughts and suspicions into words, "No doubt about it, they are talking about more than finding the other two in there. And whatever it is, we aren't invited to know about it."_

 _"They don't trust us," Ava summed up._

 _"And we clearly don't trust them," Nate took note._

 _"So what do we do?" Amaya questioned. How were they to move forward when A, they didn't know where they were meant to be moving and B, with people that didn't trust them and that they didn't trust in return?_

 _"We do what we always do. Figure something out. And for the time being, we do it with them."_

 _"So they don't trust us and they've picked up on the fact that we don't trust them," Cassie said._

 _"Now, we just need to use that to our advantage. That's the key to getting them off this ship."_

"Didn't go to plan? So you actually had a plan? Because it didn't look like it. It looked like you decided to wing it and now where did that get us? A member of my team is in the med bay, after being dragged through here looking about half dead!" Her voice rose slightly. She didn't shout, but man would that have been a better option. "How would you like it if it was one of your team coming back in that shape because of someone else's incompetence?" There wasn't even an attempt to hide the threat behind the words.

" _First, we need a mission. Something to go and fix. The four of you are going along with the four of them. You're going to make sure that everything that could go wrong, does. And it needs to look like their fault."_

"Excuse me?" Sara had caught the tone behind those words. She understood the anger but she did not stand for someone threatening her team, no matter who it was.

It was only then that Nic surged forward faster than anyone was prepared to comprehend with the abrupt movement. She grabbed Amaya and spun her around so they were both facing the other three, and held a throwing knife to her neck.

"What the hell?!" Nate exclaimed just about ready to dive over the console, the only thing stopping him was Sara's tight grip on his arm.

"This. This is exactly what should have happened out there. Instead, you chose to talk them down. Talking was not necessary nor effective. If you did this to just one of them, they would have broken and told you what we wanted to know. Simple as that," Nic tightened her grip around Amaya, who was looking at Sara and Nate with fear in her eyes. None of them really knew what Nic was planning to do next.

" _Next, they need to see that we have different methods and ones they don't necessary agree with."_

"Killing is a last resort," Ava fought.

"No. No, killing is the second resort. The first one is stealth. Getting what you need on your own. The second is killing for what you need. And the last is manipulating for what you need. That's the extent talking goes to, manipulation."

"I thought you changed," Sara shook her head. She was sure of it, well no she wasn't but she was hoping to everything she knew that it had been the case.

" _And finally, show them that there was a reason not to trust us. That they don't know us."_

"Nobody truly changes. You can bury who you are under layers of bullshit and hope, but at your core? You don't change. At my core, I'm a killer. I'm also the person that will do anything to protect my team," she looked to Nate before continuing, "I told you that."

 _"And what will all of that achieve? We still need them to defeat Mallus," Val commented._

 _"Yes we do. But if we want any chance of this insane plan working, they can't know about it."_

 _"Then how do we get their help?" Liam frowned._

 _"We pull the strings, they act," Cassie realized._

 _"Like puppets?" Liam questioned._

 _"If you want to look at it that way, then yes," Nic conceded._

Nic looked the three of them that they were facing in the eye, one by one, holding the gaze for a few seconds each. After what felt like forever for the Legends, she lowered the knife and released Amaya, shoving her forward.

"I'm not going to change my methods for you. Nor will I hold back for the sake of your moral code. So don't expect me to. What happens next is your choice."

Nic turned and strode out of the bridge leaving the four of them looking at each other wondering what came next.


	9. Important Announcement

So I'll get straight to the point. This story is going on hiatus. Officially that is. I'm doing this announcement so I don't leave anyone in the dark and no assumptions about the future of this story are made.

I am not abandoning this story. I am on a temporary creative break from it. As of right now, I am writing Grey's Anatomy stories as that has caught my creative mojo at this time. I will come back to this story at a later date. I don't exactly know when, but I will. I hope you can support this break, and stick around until I come back to it.

Thank You.


End file.
